


Been here all along

by Cherrie



Category: Little Mix (Band), One Direction (Band)
Genre: A little bit of angst, Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, Coming of Age, F/F, Growing Up, Happy Ending, Harry Potter is a teacher at Hogwarts, Harry/Draco mentioned, Hufflepuff Harry, Lauren Jauregui is making a cameo as herself because I'm in love with her, M/M, Niall and Zayn are highschool sweethearts, Slytherin Louis, and a lot of magical spells and tradition made up by yours truly, narry friendship, so are Perrie and Jade, there's someone wedding in there, zouis friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-08
Updated: 2017-06-08
Packaged: 2018-10-18 03:28:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 28,216
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10608354
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cherrie/pseuds/Cherrie
Summary: Harry is 11 year old wizard who was brought up in muggle home and now is on his way to his new school. Everything is new and exciting, and nothing can hold his attention for more than two seconds at the time, expect for this one boy with blue eyes, silver tongue and green tie around his neck. He can hold Harry's attention for two seconds, or you know... forever.





	1. The meet cute

**Author's Note:**

  * For [stylindad](https://archiveofourown.org/users/stylindad/gifts).



> *squeeeeee* it's here it's here it's here.
> 
> I'm so fucking excited about this seriously! Okay okay so first of all thank you so SO so much to stylindad for those prompts because I swear to god those were the best ones I ever got. When me and my beta saw them we were like 'this is fucking handmade for me' so you, my dear are welcome to write to me with prompts all day every day cause I loved all of them soooo much! It's been amazing writting this !
> 
> Second of all- thank you Serena, my lovely [beta](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tempolarriefics) who is a trooper and got this ready on time even though the initial plan for this fic was 10k, not you know. Almost 30k :D You are handmade for me just as those prompts are <3
> 
> soooo here it goes, and if you like it, let me know, I'm an attention hoe. Also I LOVE writting fics on requests so if you liked it and wanted me to write something for you- hit me up here in the comments or on Tumblr to which I will give you a link after author's reveal :D 
> 
> Love you guys!

'So I have to just run through the wall?’ Harry asked skeptically, raising an eyebrow at his mother like she was pulling one over him.

 

'Well that’s what they said at parent- teacher confrence.’ Anne shrugged slightly.

 

'That's stupid, mom. Are you sure they weren’t just making fun of you?’ Harry asked, the grip on his trolley tightening.

 

'I’m sure.’ Anne rolled her eyes. 'They were quite a few regular… sorry,  _ muggles  _ there and I actually met a muggle mom that has a kid in third year I think? She told me that a lot of things will seem crazy but that you’ll get used to it. She was so helpful! So I think we should just run through the wall’ she said with a deep determined sigh.

 

'Well fine, but if we end up sprawled on the floor like idiots it’s on you.’ Harry smiled sweetly.

 

'Language, Harry!’ Anne berated, and before Harry could argue with his mom that he was eleven and he was actually a wizard and he could speak however he pleased, someone tapped him on the arm.

 

Harry turned around and gasped softly at the view before him. There was a boy who looked about his age, wearing a soft baby blue sweater that accentuated his piercing blue eyes which were boring into Harry’s own with a hint of mirth in them, peeking through his light brown fringe that looked like it had fingers run through it repeatedly. The boy's lips were curved into a small smile and he licked them quickly, action prompting Harry to snap out of his gaze and move his eyes to more appropriate place like the boy’s eyes.

 

'You will end up sprawled on the floor like, excuse my language ma’am,’ he turned to Harry’s mum for a second before bringing his eyes back to Harry. 'An idiot, but only with that attitude. You need to believe that it’ll work.’ He said, the teasing smile on his lips contradicting his kind words.

 

'But it’s a wall!’ Harry said stubbornly.

 

'Yeah and this is magic,’ the boy whispered in his ear before winking and speeding at the wall before… disappearing through it.

 

'Wow.’ Harry breathed, both him and his mom looking awed. By the time it took them to pick their jaws from the floor, two more people went through the wall and Harry couldn’t pretend like it was just his eyes playing a trick on him any longer. All wizarding things still, even after a visit to Diagon Alley to buy Harry’s school supplies were still shocking to them. He supposed that’s how magic went unnoticed in muggle world. No one expected to see it, so they thought of every possible explanation that was within reason of what they were taught.

 

He looked at his mom and found her already staring at him. Then, they both shrugged and took off and went through the wall. 

 

'This is the strangest thing that has ever happened to me.' Harry breathed when he found himself at Platform 9 and ¾ , craning his head around to watch the wall he had just come through.

 

'It’s not. The strangest thing was when you were 7 years old and were always angry at me for cutting your hair cause you wanted it long, despite the fact that you always had food stuck in it and it grew back out over night.’ Anne smiled ruffling said hair. 'To be honest, I probably should have suspected something then,’ she added with thoughtful expression.

 

'Anne!’ he heard behind them and turned to see a lady with huge smile dragging along a small girl in a pink dress. 

 

'Jay!’ his mom exclaimed, delighted. 'So good to see you. You’re seeing your boy off?’ 

 

'To be honest he sprinted here and now I can’t find him.’ Jay smiled, unbothered. 'He saw his best friend and they haven’t seen each other all summer. They just talked through those bloody owls all the time - have wizards never heard of cell phones?’ She went on.

 

'It’s a shame, I hoped he could show Harry around.’ Anne smiled messing Harry’s hair.

 

'Moooom!’ Harry whined, petrified that someone could have heard her.

 

'Oh yes, excuse me dear boy, I forgot you’re at the age that everything I do embarasses you’ she laughed, messing his hair. 'Harry this is Mrs. Tomlinson, the muggle mom I told you about? This is my son Harry.' Anne said with pride.

 

'Nice to meet you Mrs. Tomlinson.' Harry said showing off his dimples and his good manners. He was nearly an adult, thank you very much, and adults knew how to behave.

 

‘Such a little gentleman!’ Jay laughed, delighted. 'If you see my Louis there, say hi to him.’ She smiled.

 

After a little bit of a small talk with Mrs. Tomlinson he said goodbyes to his mom quickly and moved towards the train. He did not want to look like a baby that couldn't take care of himself - he was 11, he could manage getting on the train by himself. As soon as he stepped inside, he started to look for the blue eyed boy. He hoped maybe they could sit together, maybe he could ask him which house he was in and then pray that the Sorting Hat put them together. 

 

He went through almost half of the train and still there was no sight of blue boy anywhere. Granted, Harry could have missed him. He wasn’t exactly tall, and he couldn’t see over the arms of seventh years. After a while, he was no longer looking for the boy, just any open place to sit. 

 

The downside of being a muggle born (the term he learned from Hogwarts starting packs) was the fact that he didn’t know any wizards. All of his friends from muggle school were still back in the real world and he didn’t think they would even keep in touch. It wasn’t wise to tell them he was a wizard since they probably wouldn’t believe him at all, and he didn’t want to lie to them and tell them he went to boarding school like his mom had to tell their neighbours and distant family. 

 

He was sad about it, when he had enough time to focus on the fact, but truth be told there were so many exciting things happening all at once, and that combined with an attention span of a typical 11 year old ,Harry wasn’t crying himself to sleep. 

 

What he was about to cry about was the fact that he was nearly at the end of the train and still he could see no place for him to sit. Most compartments were already full and the ones that weren’t tended to be occupied by much older children and Harry was too shy to ask to join them. The scary thought of having to ride alone in the hallway made his eyes glisten with tears before he berated himself, reasoning that he was not a baby anymore. 

 

'Hi!’ he heard a chirpy voice and his head snapped up to see a brunette boy leaning over the open compartment door he was standing next to. 'Do you want to sit with us?’ the boy asked, and Harry’s face erupted into huge smile as relief flooded his insides. 

 

He stepped inside and saw two girls sitting near the window both with the look of polite curiosity, the blonde one with pink tips on her hair had an arm around the smaller brunette that managed to look pristine in her blue button up and plaited skirt even sitting halfway onto the blonde girl’s lap. Across from them sat a girl with maze of black curls, brown skin and a amused smirk on her face as she looked at the chess board that was floating between her and brunette boy who had the look of utter concentration written on his face. Harry’s eyes widened when he saw the girl placing one figure on the board, her smile widening just as the figure moved to life and knocked over the boy’s knight.

 

'I’m Niall Horan! From the Horan Dystany, my grandfather was the first great emperor of leprechauns!’ he smiled, thrusting his hand to Harry while Harry was left gaping at him. Were leprechauns really a thing? Or was the boy making fun of him?

 

'Shut it, Niall’ the girl with curly hair said, looking at them and giving Harry warm smile while simultaneously moving a piece on a board. 'Leprechauns are magical creatures - according to Ministry and Magical beings - in fact, but they wouldn’t be caught dead with a human as their leader.’ She snorted. 'He’s just saying that cause he’s from Ireland. I'm Leigh’ she introduced herself, smiling at Harry again.

 

'I’m Harry' he answered, not really sure what else he could say.

 

'Nice to meet you! Are you a first year? I don’t recognise you!’ Niall laughed hooking an arm around Harry’s neck.

 

'Um, yeah.’ Harry added but Niall barely heard him as he blabbered on.

 

'This is Leigh, as she already said, she’s Ravenclaw, very smart and very vicious, and she only get visciouser with age’ he said winking at Harry and ignoring the mutter from Leigh that visciouser wasn’t even a word. 'The lovely fellow next to her is Liam, he’s a Gryffindor, he had a hair like you, curly but chopped it off, which is why you are my favourite person now since I love playing with curls. Helps me sleep.’ he shrugged and tugged softly into Harry's hair, as the younger boy watched him with fascination 'And those two over there are Perrie, my best friend from the same house Hufflepuff! And her girlfriend Jade. She’s from Ravenclaw but she’s not as mean as Leigh is.’ He laughed. 'I swear to god why she wasn’t sorted into Slytherin is beyond me’ he added giggling.

 

'That is a hurtful stereotype Niall. Slytherins are not mean, Mr. Potter always says that we need to stop with that kind of prejudice, since it was what fed Voldemort and Death Eaters and led to war in a first place.’ Liam said with very serious expression.

 

'Who’s Mr. Potter?’ Harry asked grasping at anything he could to join in on the conversation. As soon as the question left his mouth the whole compartment went silent, even Niall, which probably was a once in a lifetime occurrence. 

 

'You don’t know who Harry Potter is?’ Niall gaped at him.

 

'His name is Harry! That’s cool’ Harry beamed.

 

'You’re muggle born right?’ Leigh asked and Harry nodded slowly, not knowing if that was a bad thing. 'Well that explains why you don’t know, and you’ll probably be Mr. Potter's favourite student, he loves when someone doesn’t know who he is.’ She smiled and squeezed Harry’s shoulder, tugging him to sit next to her.

 

'But who is he?’ Harry asked, his curiosity now piqued.

 

'He is a bloody saviour of the world!’ Niall blurted.

 

'There was a war going on like fifty years ago.’ Perrie started, leaning in and speaking in a conspiratorial whisper.

 

'More like eighteen.’ Jade murmured smiling fondly at Perrie, who just glanced at her with her eyebrows raised and continued speaking.

 

'Because there was this guy - Voldemort. Well he basically went bat shit crazy and wanted to kill everyone who wasn’t 'pure blood’’ she said making quotation marks around the words with an annoyed huff. 'And well there was this whole prophecy, well nevermind, the thing is that the guy killed Harry Potter’s parents and then he tried to kill Harry Potter who was still a baby at the time, you follow?’ she asked

 

'Um, so that was eighteen years ago? Is this Harry Potter a friend of yours?’ Harry asked a little puzzled.

 

'No no! War ended eighteen years ago. But it was going on before that, Harry Potter is our Defence Against Dark Magic Teacher.’ Jade explained patiently as Perrie leaned in even further, eager to speak.

 

'So he tried to kill baby Harry right? But get this! The curse he threw? It backfired! And it hit Voldemort himself!’ she yelled with excitement. 'And it just left Harry with a scar on his forehead, so then like everyone in the wizarding word is like celebrating because ding ding the witch, or a wizard' Perrie smiled, 'is dead, and everyone thought that that was that, but it turns out, you with me? Cause this is a tricky part! Voldemort didn’t die! He like used some kind of weird magic that made his soul split and as long as any part of his soul was alive he could still come back to life!’ 

 

By that point of the story Harry was listening with his mouth wide open, the pictures Perrie was painting swiveling in his head. He was getting used to being shocked by everything magic but this was by far the craziest thing he had heard to date.

 

'So he like spent the entire time that Harry Potter was in Hogwarts trying to come back and kill him. And he nearly succeeded! But then he came back to life and Harry told everyone but no one believed him and then there was war and Harry went with Hermione Granger, she’s now the minister of magic and with Ron Weasley, he’s the keeper for Puddlemore United! Cause they were best friends and they tracked down Horcruxes and then during the battle of Hogwarts Harry Potter killed Voldemort! And then Ron and Hermione got married!’ Perrie clapped, excited.

 

'O-okay.’ Harry nodded trying to wrack his head for if he had ever heard of a sports club called Puddlemore United. I mean Manchester United was definitely a thing, but he wasn’t that good with sports. 

 

'Don’t worry Harry, you’ll learn all of that in History of Magic. There are a lot of muggle born students who have never heard of any of this.’ Leigh smiled. 'The only thing you need to know now is that Hermione Granger is the most gifted wizard to ever walk the planet, and she is my personal idol, being a black woman in a position of Power. _ The  _ position of power’ Leigh smiled.

 

'And the fact that Harry Potter is bisexual, and is married to gay guy which caused a huge uproar in wizarding community because the guy used to be a Death Eater, but it started WWFLGQ, which makes him my personal hero as a bisexual witch.' Jade smiled.

 

'Um..’ Harry started not knowing what to ask about first.

 

'Death Eaters were Voldemort’s followers and WWFLGQ stands for Witches and Wizards for lesbians, gays and queers.’ Niall explained in a hushed voice. 

 

'Oh.’ Harry said thoughtfully, trying to comprehend everything he had just heard. It was so much information that his head felt like it was about to explode.

 

'You broke him’ Liam laughed. 'Don’t worry Harry it will all make sense soon enough’ he added reassuringly

 

'And how would you know, pure blood Prince huh?’ Leigh asked with raised eyebrows ‘He has no idea what’s he’s talking about but at least he is right. I’m muggle born, it’s hard to learn entire world all at once.’ Leigh said and nudged his shoulder playfully.

 

Harry smiled softly relaxing a bit at her tone that was surprisingly gentle especially comparing to how she was sassing everyone else. But Harry was familiar with that behaviour - if anything it was comforting as it reminded him of his sister Gemma. 

 

The entire ride was spent in similar fashion with his new older friends filling him in with more wizarding stories. Before Harry knew it, a prefect came in and informed them that it was time to put on their robes. After they had done so, suddenly he could see just the waves of grey black with hints of distinctive house colours. Harry packed his muggle clothes in his trunk and excused himself to the bathroom, figuring that with the feast and the sorting ceremony he wouldn’t have time until they got settled in the dormitories. 

 

He moved through the crowd and tried to find any bathroom that wasn’t flooded with people changing into robes, or girls fixing their make up in boys bathroom claiming that there was too long of the line to their bathrooms. Harry didn’t really want some girl witnessing him pee. 

 

Finally he found one with just two people ahead of him and he sighed contentedly. It only took him about twenty minutes in the line and after that he was out wanting to get back to his friends when a piece of green cloth caught his eyes. He followed that line of vision, as the train was crawling with Slytherins and he wanted to see why that particular piece of green cloth caught his attention. He looked up a bit, his eyes glazing over a surprisingly slender neck, pausing in thought over thin pink lips and finally stopping on blue eyes that were boring into him.

 

The Blue Boy with the smart mouth and gentle tone. The boy was wearing a green tie and stood in the centre of faceless green tie clad people, and suddenly Harry wished more than anything to get a green tie of his own because maybe then he would actually have a chance of meeting him. 

 

He didn’t even realise that he had stopped in the middle of the hallway since Blue Boy’s eyes were still assessing him, now with a quirked eyebrow and curious smile. He thought that maybe he should do something, wave or maybe go over to him, but before he could embarrass himself the train stopped and people flooded the halls making him lose sight of the Blue Boy again. 

 

That was starting to seem like a pattern.

 

The next time he saw him was when all of the first years were marched into the Great Hall and presented in front of four houses. The sorting hat was saying something but Harry let its voice wash over him while he scanned the Slytherin table looking for him again. Finally their eyes locked. He was sitting roughly in the middle of the table, from which Harry deducted he was probably in third or fourth year. And if that wasn’t already a deal breaker for Harry and him, since the Blue Boy was obviously so much cooler, now Harry took in his surroundings. And saw that were two people that sat on each of his sides.

 

On his left sat a girl with curtain of fabulous dark hair, her wand held daintily in her hand and when Harry looked closer he realised that she was actually painting a tattoo on herself. He chuckled lightly when he saw her show it of to the Blue Boy, revealing that it was bra on fire.

 

On the other side sat a boy with brown skin, his black hair styled in a perfect quiff as he was leaning over Blue Boy’s shoulder and smiling up at him adoringly. 

 

Yeah. As if the Blue Boy wasn’t already probably too cool for Harry, he also had two of the most attractive friends on the planet.

 

He got so distracted with watching the trio that he nearly missed his cue for the sorting.

 

‘Harry Styles’ he heard pensive voice with posh accent of an old lady with glasses on her nose and huge hat. Harry vaguely recognised her as Principal McGonagall. He swallowed and stepped up to sit at the chair as the Principal put the Hat on his head.

 

‘ _ Hmmm I see a lot of potential. Lots of brains. Ravenclaw maybe’  _ he heard the musing of a hat inside his brain.

 

‘ _ Please Slytherin, please let me be Slytherin’  _ Harry chanted inside his mind.

 

‘ _ You want to go to Slytherin?’  _ the Hat asked incredulously. ‘ _ I’m afraid you're not quite driven enough, sweet boy. They would eat you alive. Why do you want Slytherin in the first place?’  _ the Hat asked.

 

_ ‘There’s this boy,’  _ Harry thought, and he didn’t know he could be embarrassed in his mind. 

 

_ ‘There’s always a boy’  _ the Hat chuckled. ‘ _ Years ago there was another boy named Harry who asked me to not be in a Slytherin because of a boy’  _ it added, _ ‘But that’s not what Slytherin does, and I can’t put you in a house that doesn’t suit you, for your own good I think...yeah I think that is what would be best for you…’  _ the hat trailed off before shouting out loud ‘Hufflepuff!’

 

The pang of disappointment in his stomach was drawn out by the loud whoop of excitement coming from certain Irish brunette. He smiled despite himself and moved to sit by Niall at the table, Perrie giving him a thumbs up.

 

The last time he saw the Blue Boy was when he was climbing the stairs to the tower where his bedroom was supposed to be. He turned around and caught Blue Boy's eyes, and this time Blue Boy smiled at him softly and winked before disappearing in the dungeons.

 

Yep, it was a pattern alright.


	2. The interaction

‘He’s so fucking hot.’ Niall whined when he laid his head on Harry’s lap. They were both sitting next to the pond waiting for Liam and Leigh, an perhaps Jade and Perrie if they could stop making out for a second to join them in what was probably last truly warm day that school year. 

 

For now he was stuck with Niall and he really didn’t mind. Even though Niall spent all of his time whining about Zayn - a Slytherin who he met in Elixirs class at the beginning of the year and now was convinced was the love of his life. 

 

Harry mainly didn’t mind because now him creepily staring at Louis wasn’t so obvious. 

 

He had learned the Blue Boy’s name his first week at Hogwarts, it seemed like everyone knew who he was and everyone loved him. He had a little bit of a mischievous side with pulling pranks on students and sometimes even professors but somehow everyone just let him get away with it. Harry could understand why. 

 

Louis was just charming. He teased and pranked everyone but it was always in good nature, never even remotely cruel. Harry had never actually met him but it didn’t stop him from having a huge old crush on the boy. His eleven year-old self had been onto something, obsessing over that particular stranger.

 

But this year his crush only got worse. Because this year when Harry stepped into the Great Hall on the first day of school and his eyes searched for Louis frantically, starved after three months of not seeing him he realised that over the summer Louis had changed his hair. Now it was long at the front, falling in messy fringe over his eyes, and short on the sides while also being painted platinum blond. Let’s just say that Harry’s adolescence just got that much more interesting.

 

At least now that Niall was suffering over Louis’ best friend Zayn, Harry wasn’t the only creep in Hogwarts.

 

‘Shit mate we could have like a double wedding!’ Niall exclaimed, nuzzling into Harry’s lap with delighted smile and looking over to Zayn again.

 

‘Fuck off. I’m not sharing the spotlight on my big day.’ Harry laughed.

 

‘Come on, how awesome would that be?’ Niall asked, turning around to look up at Harry.

 

‘You should ask him out.’ Harry said instead, petting Niall’s hair. ‘Instead of you know… pining for him for another two months.’ 

 

‘Look who’s fucking talking.’ Niall murmured.

 

‘It’s different.’ Harry said stubbornly ‘You and Zayn are the same age, you have classes together, you talk! Me and Louis? He’s in sixth year and I’m just a third. Have you ever heard of a sixth year and third year going out?’ 

 

‘Plenty of times.’ Niall scoffed. It’s not like you’re thirteen and he’s eighty! He’s not an old perv.’ Niall laughed.

 

‘I know he’s not.’ Harry rolled his eyes. ‘The three years is not enough of an age difference for it to be creepy but it is enough for him to be looking at me like I’m a child. He doesn’t even know who I am, Ni. What would you do if some first year just asked you out?’ Harry looked at Niall demandingly. He could see that his best friend was trying to come up with anything to say but his face said it all. ‘Exactly. You would tell them to go back to the playground’ 

 

‘Well okay, you maybe have a point but you are not a first year.’ Niall insisted.

 

‘Ni let’s just… let’s just talk about Zayn, huh?’ 

 

Niall assessed him for a second before sighing and turning to look at Zayn. ‘Fine by me’ he shrugged. ‘Do you really think I should just ask him out?’

 

‘Yes.’ Harry rolled his eyes, exasperated. 

 

‘Well the Hogsmeade weekend is in a few weeks.’ Niall mused.

 

‘Oh, come on! Hogsmeade is weeks away! Too long. Just take him like… for a picnic! You can ask the house elves to make some food for you. The weather is still nice.’ Harry smiled. His daydreams consisted mostly of first date scenarios he wanted to live through with Louis. 'And if it rains, you can just cast a spell around you’ 

 

'What if he says no, though?’ Niall asked, worrying his bottom lip between his teeth.

 

Harry was just about to roll his eyes and explain to Niall that at least he would know then and could stop with pining and move on but one giggling Louis Tomlinson stumbling in their direction made him stop with his mouth hanging open.

 

'Hi guys!’ he smiled jovially. 'I’m Louis. May I?’ he asked, motioning towards the grass next to both of them.

 

Harry just sat there watching him with huge eyes, unable to say a word or breathe apparently but Niall sat up and smiled at Louis gesturing for him to sit.

 

'I’m Niall.’ He smiled extending his hand to Louis.

 

'Oh I know!’ Louis giggled again and Harry could feel his throat constricting. If Louis had come here to ask Niall out Harry would actually throw himself off of the Astronomy Tower. He wasn’t even joking about that. 'Do you know my friend there? The brooding one? Zayn? I think you have Elixirs together.’ Louis continued not sparing Harry another glance, but still his words made the younger boy release a breath he was holding.

 

'Um… yeah, I know Zayn.' Niall stuttered out blushing and sneaking a glance towards Zayn who was hiding his head in his hands while Jesy - their best friend was rubbing his back comfortingly.

 

'So what do you think about going out with him for a date?’ Louis asked in the tone of polite inquiry and Niall’s mouth opened in shock.

 

'What… Really?!’ he exclaimed incredulously..

 

‘Yes really.’ Louis rolled his eyes. 'So?’ 

 

'Um. Yeah… that would be… um… yeah sure.’ Niall said, a beaming smile slowly making its way up on his face. 

 

'Awesome. How about this weekend? He’ll pick you up from your tower at 5 pm on Saturday?’ Louis continued all businesslike.

 

'Yeah,’ Niall breathed, busy staring at Zayn who still couldn’t handle looking at them.

 

'Awesome! Nice to meet you both.’ Louis smiled, standing up and turning back, while simultaneously patting his bum to get rid of the grass and throwing a wink at Harry. He moved back to his friends and ruffled Zayn’s hair with a loud 'I told you, you wanker. You have a date this Saturday!’ which made Zayn look up violently and blink at Louis in confusion before looking to Niall and Harry, still blushing and sending Niall a soft smile, who returned it with an awkward wave. Harry groaned and threw himself on the grass.

 

'You are both gross and I hate you’ he added for good measure throwing his arm over his eyes. Louis had come over to talk to them. Wonderful, beautiful Louis who was even more beautiful in person and didn’t even ask Harry’s name, and then had winked at him while touching his bum. It was like all of Harry’s dreams and nightmares rolled into one. 

 

Niall didn’t pay him any mind, busy staring after Zayn who was being dragged away by Louis and Jesy. Only when they went out of sight, Niall threw his head back and giggled happily.

 

‘Holy shit, I’m going on a date with Zayn’ he said then, his eyes bulging out. ‘Oh my god we have to find me something to wear, come on!’ Niall pulled him up and they ran back to the castle. 

 

Harry didn’t particularly see any point in running but every time he tried to slow down and catch his breath, Niall threw a stinging hex at his bum. Which was a low blow, mind you. 

 

They went back to their room, Hogwarts having upgraded to twin bedrooms two years ago, and Harry sat on his bed while Niall rummaged through his trunk. 

 

He pulled out some robes and put them on, adjusting with his wand any flaw in the fabric. The robe was dark navy with gold embroidery along the seams and it made Niall look like someone’s imaginary friend.

 

‘Dude you can’t wear robes.’ Harry rolled his eyes, deciding that speaking up was the only way to save his friend from his awful fashion choices.

 

‘Why not?’ Niall asked curiously. ‘I mean I know that we all wear a lot of muggle clothes these days, but Zayn comes from the long line of powerful wizards! His great grandmother was the founder of the first Muslim Wizarding Academy in the Middle East, Harry! And his father is a famous writer whose book ‘All You Need for Your House is a Little Bit of Magic’ containing thousands of everyday housekeeping spells HE created won five EWA’s!’ Niall exclaimed, getting increasingly fired up with every second.

 

‘Dude you’re not going on a date with his Excellence Wizarding Awards winning father.’ Harry laughed. ‘I thought you’ve been stalking him! Haven’t you ever seen what he wears on weekends when he’s not in school? That leather jacket made ME take a double look, which is saying something considering Louis was standing right next to him!’ Harry scoffed. ‘Take that silly thing off,’ he added and moved to Niall’s trunk, snorting as Niall’s mumbled ‘I’m not stalking him’ as he rummaged through his clothes. 

 

Niall had so many things in his trunk that he had thrown the extending charm on it as soon as he had learned how so now Harry basically had to climb inside it, only his ass hanging out to find was he was looking for.

 

‘Aha!’ He yelled triumphantly holding up three pieces of fabric. ‘Put this on,’ he commanded.

 

When he saw Niall skeptically looking down at clothes Harry trusted in his hands, he decided not to bother and with two flicks of the wrist and no sound at all - he had spent the whole summer learning soundless spells - Niall was standing naked in front of him wearing only his briefs. 

 

‘Show off.’ Niall smirked, acting annoyed when in fact he was kind of proud that Harry was doing magic on that level, but nonetheless put the clothes on. 

 

He looked at himself skeptically and Harry eyed him with furrowed eyebrows. He had picked tight black pants, a grey vest and a sparkling jacket. But the pants were not tight enough and the whole look was missing something, so Harry took his wand out again and tightened them around his bum and his thighs, smiling appreciatIvely before moving to the vest and loosening it up around his collar to show off his collarbones. With another swish of his wand, he tightened Niall’s jacket around his waist and made the glitter sparkle like new, silvery and mysterious. Harry spun him around using his hands this time and added one last final touch, two silver zippers across his thighs as ornament.

 

‘There you go,’ he grinned and pushed Niall in front of the mirror, proud of the outcome.

 

‘Damn.’ Niall breathed touching clothes reverently. ‘When did you learn to do that?’

 

‘Someone needs to start dressing all of you fashionless wizards.’ Harry rolled his eyes. ‘I’ve been weeping for the state of your fashion industry ever since I was 11 and realised that no-one was selling Vogue Magic at Diagon Alley ‘cause Vogue Magic doesn't even exist. And it bloody should.’

 

‘I look amazing.’ Niall stated, looking at himself with big grin.

 

‘Don’t get cocky now’ Harry chastised, and Niall frowned for a second before he turned to Harry. ‘How long does the spell last? Will it wear off when I take it off?’ He asked.

 

‘No!’ Harry scoffed. ‘Who do you take me for?’


	3. The connection

Harry wasn’t exactly sure how to feel about Zayn and Niall’s date having gone so well that the two went on another way the next day, and the day after that. On a third they did a double date with Perrie and Jade and now Harry was left hanging out in the common room alone or with Billy - the only friend he actually made who was his age. 

 

Okay, who was he kidding. He was so happy for Niall, but he kind of missed his best friend. And yeah, Liam and Leigh were great but with Leigh polishing her application for a summer internship at Ministry of Magic and Liam always practising quidditch he didn’t get to see them very often.

 

He hated everything. And most of all he hated growing up. Why suddenly did everyone just want to make out? 

 

He decided to ignore the obvious fact that he wanted to make out with Louis. And that maybe his irritation with Niall had something to do with the fact that he hoped that maybe now that Zayn and Niall were a couple he would get to talk to Louis. Or at least bloody see him from up close every so often and not just search for his bleach blonde hair in the sea of people. 

 

He was flying around the quidditch pitch, sky already dark,  the broom he was flying on borrowed from the Gryffindor team. Harry had learned years ago that a muggle practise of picking a locker worked wonders with with wizards since they always protected everything only against magic. 

 

‘Excuse me? It’s already past curfew’ he heard a yell from the ground, recognising Mr. Potter and reluctantly pointed his broom towards the ground. His feet touched the ground and he gave professor Potter a sheepish smile.

 

‘Harry! Why aren’t you back in your dormitory?’ Professor Potter asked.

 

‘Niall was making out with Zayn I didn’t want to impose’ Harry said bitterly kicking the pebble out of the way.

 

Prof. Potter looked at him worryingly, ‘I know it’s not easy when your best friend finds a boyfriend or a girlfriend. I know how you feel, Ron and Hermione weren't even officially together, yet I always felt like a third wheel’ he chuckled lightly.

 

‘I’m not even a third wheel…’ Harry whined ‘I barely see him at all.’

 

‘He’s in love,’ Professor Potter smiled. ‘I’m assuming that if the positions were reversed you would want to spend all your time with your significant other too.’ Professor Potter smiled

 

Harry blushed red, thinking about how crazy he would get if Louis wanted to make out with him and hold his hand. It would probably be the only thing he would want to do.

 

‘Oh-ho! I think you know what I’m talking about.’ Professor Potter chuckled. ‘You got your eye on someone then?’ He asked softly. 

 

‘Yeah.’ Harry admitted, shrugging. He always liked Professor Potter, hell everyone loved Professor Potter but Harry was a President of Junior Dumbledore Army which Professor Potter was overseeing. ‘He’s name is Louis’ he admitted, feeling safe telling the professor - who would he tell?

 

‘Louis Tomlinson?’ Professor Potter asked.

 

‘Yeah.’

 

‘He’s a great guy! A delight to teach, very smart and polite.’ Professor smiled.

 

‘I know.’ Harry whined. He hadn’t seen Niall alone for a week, and he missed having someone to whine to. ‘I don’t even know why! I don’t even know him, not really and I’m literally obsessed’ he groaned when they neared the Hufflepuff tower, and the teacher laughed.

 

‘Well when I was your age I was obsessed with a blonde Slytherin boy too, and he’s my husband now’ he smiled, his eyes shining with mirth. ‘It’s seems like boys named Harry have that in common’ he laughed again and stopped in front of the entrance. ‘Try to get to know him and see where you go from there,’ he added squeezing Harry’s arm briefly. ‘Now off you go, we have a pop quiz on Monday!’ He exclaimed and then furrowed his eyebrows. ‘You weren’t suppose to know that’ he laughed. ‘Go to sleep, Harry, if I come home after midnight again for another time this week Draco will have my head.’

 

‘Thank you, professor.’ Harry smiled and jumped through the hole under the picture. 

 

So maybe he could just talk to Niall and let him know that something was wrong. I mean for all the older boy was, he could be petty obtuse most of the time. He climbed the long stairs to his room and barged in, not really expecting guests but groaned in frustration when he saw Niall laying on the bed with Zayn on top of him, grinding enthusiastically.

 

‘Harry!’ Niall exclaimed, turning red upon seeing him.

 

‘Really you couldn’t bother in putting the wards on?’ Harry grumbled and moved towards his bed, spelling his clothes off happily walking around naked. If that could ensure Zayn not wanting to come back and them spending time, oh I don’t know, in Slytherin dungeon!

 

‘Nice bum’ he heard behind him, recognising Zayn’s voice and before he even had time to react there was a duvet from his bed wrapped around him and Niall was holding a wand very tightly in his hand.

 

‘Uh-uh! No. No bonding over naked body parts. No’ he said sternly wiggling his finger. 

 

‘What can I say, I sleep naked and since I only ever see you two at bedtime…’ Harry trailed off shrugging.

 

‘Well you may want to put some clothes on. We're going to a party,’ Niall grinned.

 

‘What party?’ Harry asked, tilting his head to the side.

 

‘Louis’ party.’ Niall stated and winked at Harry conspiratorially and completely obvious.

 

‘Okay?’ Harry hesitated, not wanting to give away how badly he actually wanted to go. He also wanted to throw Zayn off in case Niall’s obvious winking and excessive head gestures were as obvious as Harry thought them to be.

 

‘It’ll be fun, Louis found The Room of Requirement!‘ Zayn encouraged.

 

‘What? I thought they moved it after the renovation of Hogwarts after war!’ Harry exclaimed. ‘The location of the chamber was strictly private to prevent this very thing from happening!’ Even though he wanted to play it cool, The Room of Requirement was a legend! They all knew it existed, Harry even better than anyone, as Professor Potter was very keen on telling stories from original Dumbledore’s Army days at every other training of the club. But seeing as the room was often used as a place to throw a party or a make out spot it had been moved to the unknown part of the castle and in all those years after the war no student had ever managed to find it. 

 

‘I have no idea.’ Zayn shrugged. ‘Every time I ask him how he found it he just shrugs and winks.’

 

‘However he found it doesn’t matter! What matters is that he did and we're drinking today!’ Niall exclaimed. ‘Come on Haz put some clothes on.’

 

Harry did as he was told, trying his best to sound nonchalant about the whole thing and the trio moved to meet the rest of the party in the agreed upon place. They moved carefully through the castle, not wanting to be caught by any professor doing random patrols of the halls and finally found themselves in front of a huge goblin statue. Louis, Jesy, Liam, Leigh, Perrie, Jade, and some guy Harry had never met before were waiting for them.

 

‘You're here!’ Louis exclaimed. ‘Okay now we all need to walk in front of this statue back and forth three times and we all need to think about a place to party and not being caught. Come on, hurry before someone walks in on us’ he added and moved, the rest of the group following after him without a word. 

 

After three times in which Harry, even though he knew that's how the chamber worked, felt really stupid, the door appeared in the wall and they all quickly went through, it locking behind them. 

 

The room was small enough to be cosy but big enough to hold all 10 of them comfortably. There were couches and armchairs settled in a circle with a small table in the middle and Louis took out from the bag he was holding a few bottles of fire scotch whiskey and few bottles of Pepsi - where he got the muggle drink was beyond Harry. There was soft music playing in the background from a small radio that was perched on a bookshelf that was stuffed with board games. Everyone wasted no time in settling in while Louis poured all ten glasses simultaneously using his wand and with one flicker of the wrist he sent one glass to everyone. 

 

He then raised his own in a toast and cleared his throat signaling that he wanted to speak.

 

‘Today let’s raise a glass for a blessed union of one Zayn Malik that I’m proud to be calling my best friend and his lovely boyfriend Niall, from the great Horan Dynasty and the joining of our two houses!’ he exclaimed with grand gesture while Leigh chuckled happily.

 

‘Someone watched too much of Game of Thrones,’ she giggled.

 

‘What’s Game of Thrones?’ Liam asked.

 

‘Muggle TV show.’ Harry explained, smiling fondly. ‘We can watch it sometime, you’d like it.’ 

 

Liam said something back to him, Harry was pretty sure about that but for the life of him he couldn't recall what, because that was the moment that Louis decided to throw himself on the couch next to Harry and peer at him curiously from behind his platinum blond fridge just like he did when they first saw each other all those years ago. 

 

‘So. We finally meet.’ He stated seriously, only the slight twitch to his eyebrow indicating that he was playing.

 

‘Took us long enough.’ Harry said, deciding to play along.

 

‘I like your hair. It was way curlier when I saw you first and you looked like a cherub. But now you look like a princess. It’s cute.’ Louis said, unabashedly honest as he tugged on Harry’s hair, who blushed furiously and ducked his head down. ‘And you’re blushing like one.’ Louis smiled happily. ‘Oh I’m going to have so much fun with you,’ he said leaning in a bit which made Harry’s heart literally skip a beat, his lungs forgetting for a second how to inhale oxygen, his head swimming on cloud nine before Louis added, “So much fun, kid’ and just like that with one little word the cloud vanished and Harry was diving straight to the ground without his broom between his legs. 

 

Kid.

 

Of course he was just a kid to Louis, he had known that from the very second they laid eyes on each other even before there was actually a real opportunity for them to meet, because now Louis was in year six and he was brilliant and he found The Room of Requirement and Harry was just a third year that could do a lot of fashion spells that probably seemed silly. 

 

Harry did his best to swallow around his disappointment with a huge gulp of his drink that made Louis chuckle and take his glass from him delicately.

 

‘Slow down there, young one’ he smiled, transforming Harry’s alcohol into water.

 

‘Yeah I can actually decide how much I want to drink on my own, thanks.’ He snapped bitterly, transforming his drink back into firewhiskey and drinking the whole thing in one go. ‘So you wanna join me or are you going to play chaperone all night?’ He added with a challenging eyebrow raised at Louis.

 

The other boy assessed him quietly for a second before nodding and downing his own drink, matching Harry and pouring them another round.

 

‘This is such a bad idea.’ Louis murmured around the brim of his glass

 

‘Well you're not actually my mother so I don’t really need you taking care of me.’ Harry grumbled, sipping his drink quickly, feeling his head starting to swim.

 

‘What if I want to, though?’ Louis whispered, biting his bottom lip and giving Harry once again the look from behind his fringe and eyelashes that was Harry’s kryptonite, and his heart instantly melted, all signs of annoyance and hurt quickly leaving his body.

 

‘Yeah, that would… um… that would be alright’ he whispered right back and dared to look up to meet Louis’ eyes, and for the first time he didn’t disappear. 

Harry hoped it would become a pattern, for a change.


	4. The disappointment

The damn ‘Pin the sweetheart’ posters were driving Harry insane. It was just a stupid end of the year dance. Harry half wanted to just go home early and miss it all together. 

 

It’s not like he didn’t want to go to the dance but unfortunately the thing about the Pin the Sweetheart dance was that in order to ask someone to be your date, you had to pin a special pin on the front of their shirt right above the heart, and the pin could detect whether you really wanted to go with the owner of the pin or not. The whole concept had originated from Weasley shop accessories that turned pink under the touch of the person that liked you. Over the years people used them so much to determine who to ask to the Last Spring Fling dance that eventually the school’s faculty just decided to rename the dance to Pin the Sweetheart and order from Weasley special pins with the name of every student so they could give out their pins if they pleased. 

 

So a few people had tried to give Harry their pins. There was Ben from year five, and Cara from year four, and Xavier who was in year three but was hands down the coolest kid in school - word had it that he would get to tour with the Weird Sisters after he finished with Hogwarts for the year- and Harry even wanted to go with some of them, but unfortunately the pin doesn’t lie. And every time they tried to pin Harry, the pin wouldn’t stick and the end of it would turn red just like blood. 

 

‘Okay you need to see my robes, they just flew in with Quirky this morning.’ Louis said, nudging him with a soft smile and caressing his beloved owl Quirky.

 

‘That’s cool.’ Harry nodded trying to fake any amount of enthusiasm for his friend’s sake. 

 

‘Hey, baby, what’s up?’ Louis asked worryingly letting the owl go and scooting closer to Harry, putting some daisy he found in the grass in Harry’s hair. 

 

‘Nothing.’ Harry murmured, feeling a smile threatening to break across his face even against his will. That was the effect Louis had on him.   
  
Which wasn’t a bad thing per se. It’s not like Harry hated it. He definitely didn’t hate spending that party first party all those months ago by Louis’ side, he didn’t hate how the other boy showed up the next morning in Harry’s bedroom with the huge cup of coffee and some greasy breakfast to manage his hangover. He didn’t hate how after that Louis kept showing up with a cup of coffee even before breakfast until it became a regular occurrence. He liked it even better when sometimes Louis just stayed the night when they were both too tired and sleepy after watching a movie together. He liked that they were friends now.

 

But on the other hand being friends with Louis was awful sometimes. Especially since he got so caught up with how tactile they were with each other. When they were laying on his bed, legs tangled with Louis’s hand in his hair and his soft voice calling him pet names in his ear, it was really easy to forget that they weren’t actually dating. And every time Harry did, right after he was hit with a  harsh awakening.

 

‘It’s not nothing if it got you all twisted in knots.’ Louis insisted, making a silly face trying to cheer up Harry. 

 

‘It’s nothing.’ Harry said with much more conviction. ‘You better tell me, who are you taking for Pin the Sweetheart dance?’ Harry asked against his better judgment, having a flash of a vision where Louis says ‘you’ and in a grand romantic gesture pins his name above Harry’s heart, which, he knew was not going to be the case. But still, when Louis smiled dreamily and said ‘Nick,’ Harry’s heart did the same exact leap it always did when Louis was breaking it. 

 

‘Nick?’ he asked weakly even though he knew who Louis was talking about.

 

Nick Grimshaw was Louis’ fellow sixth year Slytherin. His mom was a wizard and his dad was a muggle who worked as an accountant for one of the biggest muggle radio stations. Word had it Nick spelled himself a way in for a summer internship there which was hugely frowned upon in the Ministry but made him a badass with his fellow students. 

 

‘Yeah Grimmy, I’m a little bit nervous that he’s gonna say no though.’ Louis said, burying his head in his arms.   
  
‘There’s no possible way this boy will say no to you, Lou.’ Harry replied earnestly. This he could do, making compliments and making sure that Louis knew just how amazing he was. It was not only something he could do, but something he was actually good at. 

 

‘How do you know that?’ 

 

‘Now you’re just fishing for it!’ Harry giggled, slapping Louis on the arm but upon seeing his friend’s weak smile trying to cover insecurity, he propped his head on his elbow and looked Louis’ seriously in the eyes. ‘You’re wonderful Lou. You're funny and smart and people always have fun with you. And on top of all of that - you're also hot as hell, and if he says no, that would just mean he’s in love with someone else already, and that would have nothing to do with you’ he said strongly his voice wavering a bit at the end.

 

Was that all he could do? Make sure that Louis was ready for his date with someone else? God, being a teenager sucks sometimes. 

 

Louis just smiled at him with his messed up bleach blonde hair and crinkles by his eyes and Harry didn’t want to be a character in cheesy rom-com but he swore that smile took his breath away.

 

‘Who are you taking then, Mr. Romantic, huh?’ Louis asked teasingly. ‘Some nice girl from your year or hot older guy?’ 

 

‘Nah. I’ll think I’ll skip it all together.’ Harry shrugged.

 

‘What?’ Louis asked, violently sitting up. ‘Why would you?’ He sputtered.

 

‘My body seems to reject every pin someone tries to give to me, so.’ Harry shrugged seemingly nonchalant, feeling his heartbeat racing and blood hitting his face. 

 

‘Why though? Do you, um.. do you like someone else?’ Louis asked, high pitched.

 

Harry froze, terrified, half of him wanting to just get it over with say fuck it and tell him and then bear the aftermath whatever that aftermath may be, but in truth he was not brave enough to risk it.

 

‘My body just probably doesn’t even know what it wants. Hell, half of the time my legs go into different directions and I end up on my face,’ he laughed nervously.

 

‘Well you still can’t go alone, okay? I could… I could just go with you right? As mates!’ He added quickly, his eyes widening. ‘Like best friends, right? Cause like obviously you would reject my pin also right? I would probably rejected yours too, cause we’re like best friends so yeah.. Um you know it was probably a bad idea’ Louis said, scrambling to stand up. ‘ And I should go I have huge herbalogy paper to write and Mr. Longbottom will have my head if I’ll be late with one of my assignments again’ he chuckled nervously. ‘You should invite someone to the dance though. We’ll have fun. Like a double date! Me with Nick and you with someone amazing, properly amazing. Okay? I’ll hold you to that! Okay, bye!’ he yelled and sprinted away from Harry, disappearing into the trees.

 

Harry sighed, still trying to wrap his head around what exactly had just happened. He looked around, hills outside the castle starting to get empty, the last rays of sunshine hiding behind trees. He shivered a little at the cold blow of wind coming from the Forbidden Forest and decided that ultimately facing thousand pin the sweetheart posters was better than dying in case something scary that probably shouldn’t be in such close vicinity of students crawled out of the woods. 

 

He stood up and moved towards the Castle slowly. He was great at herbology and Louis always asked him for help, seeing as that was one academic Achilles foot he possessed while Harry loved it and excelled in the subject. So why did Louis not want his help now?

 

It’s not like Harry was the one suggesting going to the stupid dance together, he thought, kicking some pebble out of the way violently. He tried so hard to not give everything away so why had Louis run away? Was the thought of going to the dance with Harry that repulsive?

 

He was pouting hard at the ground, barely containing the tears that threatened to spill from his eyes and maybe that’s why he bumped into someone at the door to the castle.

 

‘Hi’ the girl, said smiling apologetically like it was her fault. 

 

She was pretty. Had long black hair and warm smile. And maybe Harry could like her someday. Maybe he could take her out for a date and charm her metaphorical pants off and pin that stupid gold pin with his name above her heart and be done with it. 

 

But he didn’t. Instead a week later in the same exact place he bumped into Nick Grimshaw who was walking around the Castle with proud golden ‘Louis’ on his chest.

 

Harry went home for the summer before the dance and didn’t look back. 


	5. The promise

‘Niall!’ Harry yelled tugging onto his best friends pyjamas violently ‘Niall! Wake up!’

 

‘Mate what the fuck?’ Niall groaned sleepily.

 

‘My mom just wrote me back!’ Harry whispered yelled excited.

 

‘In the middle of the night?’ Niall asked, blinking sleepily and rubbing his eyes with his fists.

 

‘Yeah well she’s visiting Gemma in New York for a few days and I think she doesn’t realise that the owl has to actually fly all the way from there to here and if she sends her in the morning it would take her awhile.’ Harry explained. ‘But it’s not important! The most important thing is that she agreed to let me spend New Year's at your place! I’m coming with you!’ 

 

‘Uh-huh’ Niall groaned, already hugging a pillow to his body halfway asleep. 

 

‘Some best friend you are.’ Harry noted, amused but the only answer he got from Niall was a loud snore. He laughed quietly and decided that maybe he could think of a better time to share the news.

 

The next morning everyone was doing some last minute packing and by the time their entire gang met at the breakfast Harry was bursting with eagerness to share his news.

 

Niall had invited all of them to his mansion for New Years a few weeks ago. They decided to meet there right after Christmas and spend a few days with each other seeing as it was their last school year together, Everyone agreed immediately but it turned out that Harry’s mom was a little more difficult to convince. Especially when she found out that Niall’s parents were going to France for New Years and that the nine of them would be left unsupervised.

 

But finally after weeks of begging through letters she finally caved, mostly because Louis wrote her a letter of his own promising to take care of Harry. Louis was Harry’s mom’s kryptonite, she was always gushing about what a gentleman he was and Harry had no idea how Louis managed to weasel his way into Anne’s graces when the two had only ever seen each other a handful of times. 

 

‘Guys!’ Harry exclaimed upon seeing every one of his friends sitting by the the Hufflepuff table earning angry glances from other house members that had to cramp tightly on the benches to accommodate the large group from other houses. ‘I can go to Niall’s!’

 

‘Yes! Louis whooped attracting the attention of the entire Great hall. ‘Oops. Sorry,’ he added sheepishly. ‘But I knew Anne would see reason eventually.’ 

 

‘The fact that you're on a first name basis with my mother is gross.’ Harry commented.

 

‘Yeah? Well if you don’t like it so much you can spend New Year's Eve at home kissing the tender side of your elbow.’ Louis teased.

 

‘Oh, as opposed to who I would kiss at Niall’s party?’ Harry asked, raising a challenging eyebrow at his friend.

 

‘Well it depends how lucky you get.’ Louis sing songed coyly leaning in nearly brushing his lips against Harry’s, waiting for him to chase them and moving back with self satisfied smirk. ‘Worst case scenario you’ll be kissing Niall,’ he snickered.

 

‘You obviously never kissed Niall.’ Zayn murmured pulling his boyfriend by his waist and planting a loud smack on his neck. ‘And you never will now, he’s mine’ he added devilishly, followed by Niall’s happy giggle. 

 

‘Kissing either one of you sounds bloody awful.’ Perrie said, scrunching her nose.

 

‘I second that.’ Leigh said. ‘Which is why you should stop, and we should focus on planning our awesome New Year’s Eve Party, since we only have one train ride to do so!’ she said taking out a calendar from her purse.

 

‘What’s there to plan?’ Liam asked innocently ‘Niall has house elves. I’m sure they’ll make us food, Louis can bring us some muggle alcohol and the rest we’ll take from Horan’s cellar.’ 

 

‘Ahh…. a theme?’ Jade deadpanned, popping her hip.

 

‘Dress code?’ Leigh added in the same tone of voice

 

‘Plus ones policy?’ Jesy added innocently.

 

‘You’re just asking because you want to bring your latest conquest. How the hell do you know whether they still be around by then?’ Louis asked teasingly.

 

‘She’s incredibly hot.’ Jesy said in lieu of explanation. 

 

‘You can bring her. Who am I to stand in the way of love?’ Niall said dreamily leaning on Zayn’s shoulder watching him lovingly. 

 

‘Well it seems like we’ll be all coupled up’ Perrie smiled.

 

‘Not all.’ Leigh said motioning towards her and Liam, both Harry and Louis averting their eyes and not even mentioning the fact that she didn’t include them in her protest.

 

‘Exactly! Why don’t you two try it out, huh?’ Jade said wiggling her eyebrows.   
  
‘Me and Liam?’ Leigh laughed at the same time as Liam exclaimed. ‘Me and Leigh?’ in the same tone of voice. 

 

‘I’m kind of into someone’ Liam said blushing, and before everyone could flood him with questions Leigh interjected.

 

‘I think I’m aro, possibly ace too.’ She shrugged like coming out to them was not a big deal. 

 

‘What?’ Zayn asked quietly, taken by surprise.

 

‘I’ve thought about it for a long time. I just thought that maybe I was a late bloomer or whatever, people were always saying that I’ll get there eventually, and I was trying, I was looking at every person to feel any sexual or romantic attraction but nothing. So yeah, I’m aro and ace.’ She shrugged again and took a sip of her pumpkin juice. 

 

‘Oh my god honey, we’re so proud of you!’ Jade exclaimed and moved to hug Leigh, kissing both of her cheeks.

 

‘So.. um can we like… cause we joke about sex like all the time, and we don’t want to make you feel uncomfortable, so like should we stop?’ Niall asked. 

 

‘No, no! Guys, nothing's changed, I can hear about sex, I can talk about sex I just don’t want to have it.’ She smiled. ‘So theme?’ and while everyone started to brainstorm possibilities Liam leaned over his best friend and looped an arm around her waist.

 

‘I’m so proud of you Leilei’ he murmured. ‘You finally told them, congratulations.’

 

‘Well, you admitted you have a crush on someone. I had to save you from the interrogation,’ she teased rolling her eyes ‘God forbid Louis find out you like Jordan, he would embarrass you ten ways to Sunday in front of that boy.’ 

 

‘You’re the best friend on the entire planet.’ Liam smiled widely. ‘What am I gonna do next year without you?’ 

 

‘Probably a lot of stupid shit.’ She deadpanned. ‘But I won’t be far,’ she grinned. ‘Since just yesterday I got an owl, I got a job offer from the Magical Equality Department in the Ministry’ she grinned watching her friends gasp in unison. 

 

‘Even before your WOMBATs scores?!’

 

‘Yeah, well, I sent them my transcription, letters of recommendation from Principal McGonagall, Professor Potter, Professor Firenzo and Professor Hagrid and also from the Minister of Magic herself Mrs. Hermione Granger-Weasley about that internship I did for her few summers ago, and they wrote that this is by far the best application they ever received and that it’s clear even without my exam scores that I’m more than qualified for the position. So I’ll be in London after graduation.’ 

 

‘Holy shit! That’s incredible!’ Zayn yelled followed by everyone congratulating her profusely. Harry smiled widely, ignoring the sinking feeling in his stomach. Graduation was just around the corner and Louis had been talking for months now about the possible career paths he wanted to take next autumn. None of them included staying in Hogwart’s by Harry’s side just so he could pine over him hopelessly for the next four years. 

 

‘So what about you two?’ Leigh asked motioning towards Jesy and Louis, two other members of their group that were graduating alongside her. 

 

‘I don’t have a serious plan.’ Jesy shrugged. ‘The only thing I like is painting and sketching but there’s not much opportunity for that, so I plan to move to London, find a job at a tattoo parlor maybe, a muggle one if I have to and I’ll figure something out.’ 

 

‘Hey you wanna find an apartment together?’ Leigh asked.

 

‘Oh my god yes!’ Jesy yelled excited. 

 

‘Awesome! Lou, you in?’ Leigh asked.

 

‘Um… well to be honest if everything goes as planned I’ll be in the US by the end of summer,’ he said sheepishly.

 

‘What are you gonna do there?’ Perrie asked.

 

‘Well a few weeks ago I saw and advert in Daily Prophet about this program the Ministry is starting, they want to build a magic school in US, and they need all kinds of volunteers to get it going. I’m good with spells, I’m also good with books and finance, and with promotion so we’ll see.’ He shrugged a little.

 

The chorus of their friends excited questions and exclamations was drowned out for Harry by ringing in his ears. He had gotten used to, or at least tried to pretend that he got used to, the idea of Louis not being in school with him next year. Or the year after that. Or the year after that. But he always thought he would be a train ride away. And a short owl flight away. And yes he could apparate here any second but still apparating for such long distances was particularly unpleasant, so it’s not like he could do it quite often, it was so unpleasant that usually wizards preferred to travel muggle style when they had to go over three thousand kilometers. 

 

He was so dizzy with the knowledge that losing Louis was more real than he thought that he only snapped out of it way after breakfast when all of them were sitting on the train, Leigh and Liam cuddling in the corner.

 

‘What?’ she snapped when they all looked at them confused. ‘We always do that, but before we didn’t in front of you since we didn’t want you to get the wrong idea.’

 

‘This is so weird you never want to cuddle with anyone!’ Jade exclaimed.

 

‘I do though, but only with Liam,’ she grinned ‘He’s my squishy squish.’ she teased squeezing his cheeks

 

‘Thanks Leilei,’ Liam sing songed. 

 

‘This is the whole new side of you.’ Niall said motioning towards Leigh with his hands ‘I quite like it. Makes you look almost human,’ he teased.

 

‘Fuck off.’ Leigh flipped him off. 

 

Harry was mute to their banter, too busy being too wired by Louis’s feet lying on his knees. He was holding his ankle, mesmerized by the fact that he could circle it with his fingers. His ankles were so soft and wonderful. You could tell a man by his ankles, Harry thought. 

 

‘So what are you going to dress up as?’ Louis asked Harry, nudging his stomach with his foot. 

 

‘Huh?’ Harry asked frowning.

 

‘New Years? We decided on the masquerade theme?’ Louis asked with a small smile.

 

‘Oh, yeah, um… I have no idea to be honest. I’ll think of something during Christmas.’ Harry shrugged.

 

‘Oh come on, you fashion god, we expect something amazing from you.’ Louis smiled. ‘I actually wanted to ask you for help’

 

‘With what?’ Harry asked caressing Louis’ ankle with his thumb.

 

‘I wanted to get them a little bit of muggle education so I wanted to dress up as David Bowie’ Louis grinned.

 

‘Oh my god, it’s actually perfect for you.’ Harry grinned.

 

‘Yeah, but I need an awesome outfit! And it’s Christmas and my mom has enough to deal with five kids and being all on her own. I can’t ask her to sew a glitter one piece for me.’ 

 

‘I’ll do it! I mean it’ll take me few minutes, but you have to take care of makeup and hair by yourself.’ Harry wiggled his finger.

 

‘Fine, fine.’ Louis waved him off. ‘Hey!’ he exclaimed ‘You wanna go matching outfits with me and go as Jagger? You kinda look like Baby Mick’ he smiled, tugging onto Harry’s curls.

 

Harry preened under attention his cheeks blushing. 

 

‘Sure, let’s do matching outfits.’ He nodded shyly. He would probably agree to be the back of the horse to Louis’s front of the horse at this point. He had been way too into him for way too long, he was practically brainwashed. 

 

They all had a long and teary goodbye at the 9 and ¾ station before everyone went their own way driving home for Christmas. 

 

Harry was glad to be home. It was the first Christmas with Robin, Gemma had come back home and his mom was smiling wider than ever being in love again. He liked it but still, he was anxious the whole time about the New Year’s. He made both of their outfits the first night back home, getting so jittery that he couldn’t sleep, deciding he may as well use the time. They agreed to meet at Niall’s day after Christmas and spend the rest of the break at Niall’s mansion. Harry’s mom finally agreed but she didn’t relent on escorting Harry to Louis’ house where both boys would take floo line to Niall’s house seeing as Harry’s house still didn’t have a floo system yet. 

 

‘Mom, no one is getting a lift from their parents.’ Harry whined.

 

‘Well you are. We don’t have floo system and I’m not letting you go by train by yourself.’ Anne said starting the engine.

 

‘Mom, they’re gonna think I’m lame.’

 

‘Honey, they’re your friends, you don’t have to impress them’ she smiled.

 

‘Of course I do.’ He scoffed, locking the seatbelt.

 

‘They love you honey’ she said looking at him seriously ‘I know you feel inferior sometimes being younger than all of them, but they love you so much. You know, your friend Louis was not the only one who wrote me a letter to let you spend New Year’s Eve with them? They all did. And they all not only promised to take care of you but begged for you to come since most of the time you're way more responsible than them and you're the one taking care of them. Your friend Niall went as far as suggesting that he might die in the horrible accident without you there to keep him in line’ she smiled softly. ‘They love you, and they know how old you are, and still they love you. There’s nothing to be ashamed about’ she said caressing his head.

 

‘Really?’ he asked a huge smile fighting its way to his face.

 

‘Really’ she nodded, turning to look at the rear view mirror and backing out from the driveway. 

 

The drive to Louis’ house didn’t take them long and Harry ignored the way his chest tightened when he saw his mom embrace Louis’ mom eagerly and Louis’ sisters running his way to give him Christmas presents. He didn’t think about how great their families blended in. He couldn’t let himself. So he just smiled and urged Louis to send their luggage first and then to step in the fireplace themselves.

 

When they landed in Niall’s house they were greeted by a small woman with blond bob and pink glasses on her nose. 

 

‘You must be Louis and Harry!’ she exclaimed. ‘Everyone is already here! I’m Maura, Niall’s mom. Bobby will be here later in the evening but he’s still at work! You know how the Giants are,’ she giggled and motioned for them to follow.

 

‘Giants?’ Louis whispered to Harry, baffled.

 

‘Niall’s dad is Wizarding Ambassador in Giants Community’ Harry whispered back.

They met Niall’s dad later that evening just before him and his wife departed for their vacation in the south of France, and all of them were left to their own devices. They spent the first days laying around in Niall’s living room, eating away Niall’s kitchen and doing a marathon of Quentin Tarantino movies, as a continuation of Louis’ mission to get all the purebloods raised in wizarding world friends up to speed on muggle pop culture. 

 

Harry liked it. All of them were wearing soft jumpers and comfy pyjamas, and with the amount of blood in the movies he had an amazing excuse to hide his face in Louis’ neck every other second, prompting Louis to smile in his hair and tighten his hold on Harry’s waist - and when they switched to horror movies the next night, whisper sweet nothings in Harry’s ear and agree to sleep in the same bed when Harry confessed he was way too terrified to fall asleep on his own.

 

All in all it was amazing, and just as Harry was getting used to it, as always, the other shoe dropped. Straight onto his face. Literally.

 

They were all sitting at breakfast when the owl flew through the window and dropped the letter at Harry’s head. He scowled loudly at the owl and glanced at the letter rubbing his forehead. He read Ministry of Magic and Louis’ name on the envelope and the food got stuck in his windpipe making it hard to breathe. He handed the letter wordlessly to Louis, swallowing loudly, the whole table quieting down in anticipation. They all were rooting for Louis to go and Harry… Harry would open a vein for Louis if that’s what he needed but he couldn’t tear his heart out of his chest and simply let him go to the US. He could feel Louis’ hand opening his chest as he opened the letter. Louis opened it and read through his face lighting up more and more as he read on, and Harry knew already.

 

‘I got in’ he whispered just as everyone collectively let out the big whoosh of air before starting to cheer for him. Harry automatically stood up from his chair with the rest of them and quickly hugged Louis, trying to hide his manic smile in Louis’ neck.

 

He didn’t even have time to recover when the second owl flew in dropping another letter this time exactly onto Louis’ hands.

 

‘Grimmy applied for the same job in the US!’ Louis said excitedly, looking up from the paper and Harry swallowed loudly. ‘How awesome would it be if he got in too?’

 

‘You want to spend so much time with your ex-boyfriend?’ Harry asked skeptically.

 

‘He’s not my ex.’ Louis rolled his eyes, and Harry felt a little bubble of hope. He had never really gotten the whole story. He knew that Louis had asked Nick to the dance a year before, and that he said yes, but Harry had gone home before he could see them go to it together and by the time they all came back to school they didn’t mention Grimmy again. ‘Yeah, we spent the whole summer hooking up but that was it,’ he shrugged and Harry’s fist clenched involuntarily.

 

‘Awesome’ he noted, praying that he didn’t sound as dead inside as he felt.

 

‘That’s really awesome’ Leigh nodded. ‘It will be good for you to have someone you know there with you. But didn’t he want to become this whole muggle DJ sensation?’ 

 

‘Yeah but apparently his mom found out that he spelled his way to the internship and she threatened to report him to the ministry.’ Louis giggled. 

 

‘Well however it happened, it’s good. You’ll have another link to home while out there, it will be harder for you to forget us.’ Jade teased.

 

‘I couldn’t if I tried.’ Louis noted softly, squeezing Harry’s thigh. 

 

And if Harry thought it couldn’t be any worse he was dead wrong. The day after that when they were getting ready for their New Year’s Party, he had to watch Louis squeeze his huge bum into a stretchy red one piece that made his ass look obscene, and made Harry thank his past self for making his trousers so tight they were almost restricting, because he could just see that it would be the only thing preventing him from embarrassing himself with a hard on in front of everyone of his friends and their significant others, as Liam invited the guy he had a crush on and Jesy invited the girl she had been hooking up with for few weeks now. 

 

The first part of the party they spent explaining to everyone what their costume meant and reenacting some of their more popular duets, and Harry wanted to get drunk out of his ass, having sweaty tipsy Louis grinding on him was way too much to handle sober, but as much of a lightweight he was, somehow he couldn’t get drunk no matter how much firewhiskey he downed in one go, and maybe it had something to do with the fact that he couldn’t pretend any longer that Louis was not leaving. All the alcohol in the world couldn’t cover the hole in Harry’s heart that Louis was tearing out. 

 

Midnight was approaching and rather than watch all of his friends kissing someone, Harry snuck one bottle of alcohol and moved outside to sit near the pool. He took out his wand and spelled a sparkler to fly around his head. He took a huge gulp of whiskey when he heard the door opening behind him, the change of volume of the music the dead give away. He didn't need to turn around to know who just came in. 

 

‘Scoot over.’ He heard above him and he moved a bit on the chaise to accommodate Louis. ‘Whatcha doing here?’

 

‘Just needed some quiet.’ Harry said, rubbing Louis’ shoulders and feeling him shiver.

 

‘I get you. Jesy and Mary are really going at it on the dancefloor huh? And Niall is so fucking loud while drunk...’ Louis giggled but Harry stopped him mid-sentence.

 

‘So you’re moving to US,’ he stated gravelly and Louis tensed beside him.

 

‘I don’t know. I mean I got in but I am still waiting to hear from a few other options.’ Louis said, picking at his fingernails. 

 

‘But if you decide to go, you’re moving thousands of kilometers away.’ Harry accused hating how resentful he sounded. Louis just assessed him coldly.

 

‘Okay, I won’t’ he stated.   
  


‘What?’

 

‘I won’t move. I’ll build myself a cottage right outside Hogwart’s grounds and I’ll wait three years until you graduate! I will do absolutely nothing and live off of the land.’ Louis said sweetly, only his ice stare giving away how mad he actually was.

 

‘God..’ Harry groaned. ‘You know that’s not what I mean!’ he defended.

 

‘Isn’t it?’ Louis snapped ‘Because I may have an opportunity to do something amazing. To build the first magical school in US? That’s huge, do you know how many young wizards never get the education they need ‘cause commuting to Hogwarts or another European or Asian based school is too expensive for them? And I can help change that. We have so much to do! There’s no school in Australia too, nothing in South Africa. And you’re going to make me feel guilty about wanting to help?’ 

 

Harry swallowed thickly and felt a blush fighting it’s way to his cheeks. ‘I'm sorry’ he said quietly. ‘I'm so proud of you,’ he said eagerly. ‘I really really am, it’s just… I’m going to miss you so much. And even if I wanted to join you, it’s three years before I can. A lot can happen before that. What if we lose touch? What if we stop talking at all, both consumed by our lifes?’

 

‘Haz!’ Louis sighed biting his bottom lip ‘We will never lose touch. I’ll never be too busy for you.’ he added squeezing Harry’s hand. 

 

‘You promise?’ Harry asked blushing.

 

‘I promise.’


	6. The abandonment

Sitting in his office at the top floor of London’s skyscraper reminded Harry of Great Hall in Hogwarts. He leaned back in his chair and looked through his glass ceiling to see snowflakes falling down from the sky but never reaching his face. As usual, thinking about school brought all sorts of melancholic feelings inside him. And the reason he was thinking about Hogwarts was because Zayn and Niall had organised a huge dinner with their entire old school gang. And thinking about their entire school gang made his mind go straight to Louis. 

 

Louis. His first love, his used-to-be best friend. The guy who moved to United States six years ago never to be heard from again. From little snippets they caught through some mutual friends, they heard that after successfully opening the first US Magical School in the United States, Louis had moved on to Australia, and then proceeded to set up a non-profit to ensure that every little wizard across the world would have an opportunity to learn magic in a proper school - if they couldn’t open the school somewhere, they made sure to provide scholarships for commute and school supplies. 

 

Don’t get him wrong, Harry was insanely proud, and it’s not like he was still in love with Louis. He was an adult now. He was a pioneer in his field. He was a successful fashion designer, who was about to launch his first children’s line. He was a responsible, successful adult, and his school crush had no impact on him whatsoever.

 

He was a little bit bitter though. He couldn't understand how they all managed to stay in contact except for Louis. The only person who still sometimes heard from him was Zayn, exchanging some pleasantries over letters from time to time.

 

Harry couldn’t even pin the moment when they grew apart so much. At first they had talked all the time, but then Louis got really busy and Harry finally met some people his own age, getting ready for his last year in Hogwarts when he wouldn’t have any of his friends next to him, and he found himself hanging out with Xander, a Ravenclaw from his year. The more times he had to read ‘Grimmy’ or ‘Nick’ in Louis’ letters, the more he pushed himself into Xander’s arms. And before he knew it he had his first boyfriend and even the thought of replying to Louis’ letters and having to address all the Nick stories had made him off doing so for so long that  sometimes it took him weeks to get to. 

 

By the time Harry finished Hogwarts, Louis was already in Australia, which Harry had to find out from his mom, who still kept in touch with Jo - Louis’ mom. So now, finishing up with planning a fashion show, he felt a little bit anxious about seeing Louis today. He put a lot of thought into his outfit but still he couldn’t help spelling it times and times again, changing things in circles as he tried to make it perfect.

 

Now, he was inhaling heavily, standing in front of Zayn and Niall’s apartment with his hand raised a bit away from knocking on the door. Finally when he was just about to do it, the door opened to reveal Niall dressed in an apron, his cheeks red probably from hours spent in the kitchen. 

 

‘Haz!’ he exclaimed. ‘Come on in, everyone’s already here!’ he smiled, kissing both of Harry’s cheeks and taking wine out of his hands, leading him to the living room. Harry breathed heavily, looking at the floor before looking up and with a wildly beating heart looked at the faces of his friends. Some of them he saw on a daily basis, some of them he hadn’t seen in a while, but the only face he was afraid to see wasn’t there.

 

‘Hi guys!’ he greeted everyone, stopping the longest next to Jade and feeling her stomach. Even though she and Perrie lived upstairs from Harry and he had already felt a baby kick few times, he never got quite enough of this.

 

‘How is Harry Junior?’ he grinned.

 

‘Haz, we’re not naming our baby after you.’ Perrie deadpanned.

 

‘Of course you are, though.’ Harry argued, sitting beside them and accepting a glass of wine Jesy handed to him.

 

‘So um… where is Louis?’ he asked innocently.

 

‘He couldn’t come’ Zayn said sadly, Niall massaging his neck with sympathetic expression. ‘He had to be in Sydney all weekend.’ 

 

Harry swallowed around his disappointment and stuffed his mouth with mini sandwiches Niall prepared to stop himself from saying anything that could give him away. 

 

‘Well is anyone really surprised?’ Jesy noted bitterly.

 

‘Oh come on, he’s busy.’ Zayn defended.

 

‘Too busy to send a letter?’ Jesy asked. Harry felt bad for her, she had been friends with Louis years before Harry had, and he could only imagine how much it stung. 

 

‘He does a lot of good, Jess.’ Jade smiled softly. ‘It can’t be easy knowing that all of us are more or less together all the time when he can’t see us more than once every other year.’ 

 

‘Fine! I know that apparating back and forth is awful, especially from Australia but Zayn and Niall have some big news and he couldn’t make an exception for this? What’s he gonna miss next? Perrie and Jade’s kid’s birth?’

 

‘Just write to him, Jesy.’ Leigh said softly. ‘Or go visit him! Isn’t Lauren’s tour stopping in Australia at some point?’ 

 

‘It does,’ Jesy grumbled.

 

‘So just go see him. I’m sure he’ll love that.’ Leigh assured her. 

 

And just like that Harry got answers to all the questions he didn’t even ask. Maybe it was really that easy to write a letter and reconnect just like that. But he didn’t want to run after Louis for another half a decade. He wanted, for a change, for Louis to run after him. Maybe it was stubbornness, or maybe he just wanted to earn back a little bit of the self respect he lost while pining over Louis for years.

 

After dinner, Niall and Zayn stood up at the head of the table and made a huge spectacle of clinking their knife on their wine glasses.

 

‘Okay, so as we said, we invited you here to share a big news.’ Niall started, squeezing Zayn’s hand lovingly.

 

‘Zayn knocked you up!’ Liam yelled, earning a giggle from around the table.

 

‘You do realise that’s not biologically possible?’ Leigh asked amused.

 

‘Not for the lack of trying, let me tell you that.’ Zayn noted under his breath, earning another round of giggles.

 

‘What we were trying to say!’ Niall exclaimed, swatting Zayn’s arm with fond shake of his head ‘Is that…’ he looked to Zayn, building suspense.

 

‘We’re getting married!’ They both yelled, prompting the entire table to stand up in shock and excitement. 

 

Harry sat through the story of how exactly Zayn proposed, which lasted all through half a bottle of wine, and did not make Harry bitter. Because he was a good friend who was going to be happy for his two best friends getting engaged, and he wouldn’t be thinking about how every one of his relationships got wrecked probably because he could never commit to them one hundred percent, since there was always a little part of his brain holding out for Louis and thinking what if. 

 

But this evening wasn’t about him.

 

It turned out that the next few months weren’t about him either. Turns out that when the son of Wizarding Ambassador in Giants Community and son of most powerful muslim wizards in the world get married, the wedding is kind of a big deal. Harry had his hands full with working on grooms robes, groomsmaids dresses and best men robes. He also had to put his affairs in order since the wedding was a destination wedding to Niall’s summer estate in South of France, a whole week spent bathing in the sea ending with a ceremony on the beach. 

 

He wanted to ask Niall and Zayn whether Louis had confirmed his attendance, but figured he shouldn’t get his hopes up in case Louis wouldn’t be able to appear, and the first days of the trip proved him correct. 

 

He was laying on their private beach, Jesy and her girfriend Lauren - who was actually a muggle popstar, sitting beside him.

 

‘We should get you laid.’ Jesy stated, fixing her enormous glasses on top of her nose. 

 

‘I don’t need your help Jes, thank you very much.’ Harry answered, keeping his head up.

 

‘Really? Merlin, Harry you’re looking at the door so much waiting for Louis to show up through them that it’s starting to get sad.’ 

 

‘What! I don’t wait for Louis!’ Harry squealed. 

 

‘Oh please, I’m pissed at him so much, but you must be too. Come on, how awesome would that be if he came here to see you already shacking up with someone?’ Jesy asked eagerly. 

 

‘It’s not like he’d care.’ Harry deadpanned.

 

‘You sure about that?’ She asked pointedly.

 

‘Pretty sure, yeah.’ Harry confirmed. 

 

‘Come on Haz, it’s time to think with your wand. There are plenty of single people here.’ She said 

 

‘Hey what was that guy’s name? The one that has a bedroom next to us? He was really cool, and so tall!’ Lauren said.

 

‘Oh! George! He’s half giant, and you know what they say about giants,’ Jesy wiggled her eyebrows. 

 

‘And I thought my life was crazy once I signed a recording contract.’ Lauren deadpanned. ‘I never thought I would have a conversation about an actual real life giant’s penis while completely sober.’

 

‘Lauren we drank five butterbeers each in the full sun. I don’t think any of us is completely sober.’ Harry noted happily.

 

‘‘And we’re not even done yet.’ Jesy groaned. ‘Bachelor’s party is today.’

 

‘Is a magical bachelor's party any different from a muggle bachelor’s party?’ Lauren asked.

 

‘Look at you with the lingo,’ Jesy said ruffling her hair. 

 

‘Probably not, only when a muggle bachelor party gets out of control someone can end up with a dolphin tramp stamp on their lower back but if a magic bachelor party gets out of control someone might actually become a dolphin.’ 

 

‘Please if you have to change me into an animal, make it a dog?’ Lauren pleaded with her face looking white.

 

‘A dog? Are you kidding? Why would you want to be a dog if you could be a cat?’ Jesy asked, sitting up in outrage. 

 

‘A cat?!” Lauren exclaimed with scowl on her face. ‘Cats are assholes!’

 

‘Cats are sassy! Dogs are boring as shit!’ Jesy countered. 

 

Before Lauren could reply, Harry cut in, knowing those two they could go on for hours and after drinking all day in sun he could feel a headache coming even without their bickering.

 

‘Wow, someone would have thought you would agree on such an important issue early into a relationship’ he noted, smiling sarcastically.

 

‘Wow someone would have also thought we had a hard time with dealing with this whole I’m a witch and she’s popstar thing and we didn’t think about animal preferences.’ Jesy shot back, rolling her eyes.

 

‘For first two weeks of the relationship, you didn’t know she was a popstar.’ Harry argued.

 

‘And I didn’t know she was a witch for an entire year.’ Lauren noted. ‘But you’re forgiven, baby.’ She cooed.

 

‘Can you blame me?’ she asked ‘When I told you, you first laughed and thought I smoked your last joint and you got pissed at me and when I showed you what I meant and you fainted.’ She stopped for a dramatic effect. ‘Three times.’ 

 

‘You could have just done a simple expelliarmus! You didn’t have to make my furniture dance around my apartment while my signed picture of Taylor Swift moved to life and was conducting it like an orchestra!’ Lauren defended. 

 

‘I wanted to show you something cool, not just a lame expelliarmus.’ Jesy rolled her eyes. 

 

‘Also a Taylor Swift picture? Come on, honey.’ Harry said.

 

‘Taylor Swift is awesome!’ Lauren defended.

 

‘Uh… I don’t know. She seems like an asshole.’ Harry said.

 

‘She is an asshole. I’ve met her.’ Jesy agreed. 

 

‘She was so nice to us, Jes! How can you say that?’ 

 

‘When you went to get us drinks she asked me what I do for a living and when I said I am a tattoo artist she said ‘Wow I never would have seen Lauren ending up with someone like you. Oh don’t get me wrong, of course not all of us can be a rockstars I mean we need ordinary people too, but I always pictured her with someone who gets how it is to be an artist’ she said, imitating Taylor’s high pitched voice.

 

‘Wow babe.’ Lauren said with a serious face, taking a deep breath. ‘That was a terrible Taylor impression’ she finished, prompting Harry to spill his drink out of his mouth with oud laughter. 

 

‘Yeah okay buddy, come on, you’re way too drunk, someone needs to sleep it off.’ Jesy smiled standing up and picking up her stuff. ‘I’ll just escort him to his room, wait for me? We have that reservation in Paris at 5 pm’ 

 

‘Nah, I’ll come with. I want to take a shower before.’ Lauren shrugged and all three of them moved back to the mansion where all close friends and family were staying for few days before the wedding.

 

Harry decided that even though he was offended by the way Jesy was handling him with her wand (he did not almost trip three times and fall on his face. He was not drunk, thank you very much) like he was a child, a nap wasn’t such a bad idea. 

 

He set up an alarm clock so as to not miss the bachelor’s party and threw himself on the bed, falling asleep within seconds. 

 

The nap, as short as it was, was all he needed to sober up a bit before he had to get ready for the double bachelor’s party he had organized with Jesy for both Niall and Zayn. Jesy was outraged when she found out they wanted to do it together, claiming that a bachelor's - or a hen’s for that matter - party was between one person and one stripper. Or several strippers. Zayn and Niall insisted, though. 

 

That’s how the entire group with a few extended friends found themselves in one of the most exclusive Monaco clubs that Lauren recommended for them, Jesy and Harry deciding after visiting a lot of wizarding pubs in that area that they weren’t nearly fancy enough for a bachelor’s party. When they stepped inside the VIP lounge, Leigh casted a few protective spells similar to the ones that were casted on Hogwarts, making every person that didn't know about spells blind to whatever was going on inside their roped off area. 

 

They all settled comfortably on couches and ordered multiple trays of shots. Liam was quite happy about the ones that burned right before drinking them down insisting that there was no way that it wasn’t magic.

 

‘It’s science, Li.’ Harry laughed giddily.

 

‘Why do you need science when you have magic, though?” Liam said stubbornly, setting one of the other shots on fire and smiled wickedly. ‘See?’ He said with self satisfied smirk and proceeded to drink it, the fire not going out the way it should and getting inside his throat, making him gag and splutter before falling on the floor. 

 

‘Liam!’ Zayn yelled and threw himself on the ground to his friend, procuring from god knows where his medical kit. He mumbled a few charms under his breath and then applied some gooey substance on Liam’s throat before feeding him a sip of water.

 

‘Holy shit, that was terrifying.’ Liam choked out and started to giggle. ‘I’m so glad I’m friends with a doctor’ he added, his laugh met with a ringing silence from everyone at their table.

 

‘Merlin, Li.’ Zayn sighed, sitting down on his feet while everyone else sat down on the couches after raising from them in terror, relieved. Harry looked over to Lauren seeing her green in the face. 

 

‘God you're so stupid!’ Leigh yelled, her voice starting to get hysteric. ‘Magic fire is made to withstand in every environment! That’s why it’s magic! Of course it wouldn't behave the same way as a muggle one!’ she yelled before wiping her eyes, swatting Liam on the head and hugging him forcefully.

 

‘I’m sorry.’ Liam said sheepishly. ‘But I’m fine. Seriously. Let’s just continue with a bachelor party? Zayn is really good at his job,’ he added.

 

‘Are you kidding, we have to get you to St. Mungo!’  Leigh yelled. ‘Can he apparate in this state?’ she asked concerned, looking at Zayn.

 

‘He’s fine, Leigh.’ Zayn smiled. ‘I know it looked terrifying but I promise he’s good as new. There’s no damage whatsoever, I was close enough to react within seconds. He’s okay,’ he said squeezing her hand.

 

‘Okay. Okay,’ She sighed and deflated like a balloon onto Liam’s chest.

 

‘Um… how about we stop with the flaming shots but keep on drinking, huh?’ Lauren asked smiling shyly, trying to get the party back on track, knowing that if there was anything wrong with Liam whatsoever Zayn would have him on the fast track to St. Mungo’s hours ago. 

 

‘Yes! Let’s do that!’ Liam yelled, standing up and doing some weird balance poses to prove to Leigh how completely okay he was. 

 

Finally it earned a chuckle from her and slowly everyone relaxed enough for Harry and Jesy to stand front and centre announcing the bachelor’s party games.

 

‘Okay, okay!’ Harry said, quieting the round of applause that followed the announcement. ‘The first game is called ‘How well do we know the grooms’.’

 

‘...Or something less lame that Harry didn’t let me think of.’ Jesy muttered and Harry shot her a look. 

 

‘We collected a bunch of personal information about the grooms that they say no one knows,’ Harry carried on.

 

‘And if we don't know the answer to the question, we drink, but if they don’t know it they are drinking.’ Jesy added. ‘The goal is obviously to get royally pissed.’

 

‘And everyone please steer clear of the special violet shots on the violet tray as they are non-alcoholic ones prepared specifically for someone very, very pregnant.’ Harry added, winking at Jade.

 

Everyone got their own tray of drinks and Harry and Jesy ordered one huge fruity cocktail each as they weren’t a part of the game. 

 

‘First question: what was the story of Niall’s first kiss?’ Jesy asked, smirking a bit at the answer she had written on the card. 

 

‘That’s way too easy!’ Leigh said. ‘He bragged about it for weeks! He was here with his parents on vacation and he made out with a hot lifeguard. He was like two years older,’ She added.

 

‘Wrong.’ Jesy smirked. ‘Zayn, care to enlighten us?’

 

‘No.’ Zayn shook his head, taking a shot.

 

‘Babe.’ Niall said gravelly. ‘It’s time.’ He announced. 

 

“Honey are you sure?’ Zayn asked concerned.

 

‘Yes.’ Niall nodded seriously. ‘Tell them.’

 

‘Okay.’ Zayn nodded back, still holding Niall’s hand and after a bit of silence he took a deep breath and spoke.

 

‘He didn’t made out with a hot lifeguard then. He got kissed by a girl and he freaked out so much that he ran crying to his mom.’ Zayn mumbled practically in  one breath before the whole table roared with laughter.

 

‘What? Girls always scared me.’ Niall cringed.

 

‘It’s okay baby,’ Zayn cooed, kissing Niall passionately on the mouth.

 

‘Next one.’ Harry interjected, wanting to stop their grinding before it went too far. ‘What did Zayn’s mom catch him wearing his first year back from Hogwarts?’ Harry read the next card.

 

‘Lace underwear!’ Perrie yelled.

 

‘In your dreams?’ Niall asked, amused. 

 

‘A skirt and a tank top!’ Their friend Ed yelled.

 

‘A gorilla suit!’ Jade exclaimed, earning a chuckle from everyone around the table and looking at them confused while Perrie caressed her hair and whispered words of encouragement in her ear.

 

‘Muggle clothes,’ They heard a voice coming from the entrance and all of them looked towards it to see Louis leaning against the wall, looking tired. ‘I gave Zayn my leather jacket because he had never worn any muggle clothes, only robes his whole life. Trisha was in shock, remember?’ Louis laughed and Harry’s heart skipped a beat at how completely familiar and strange all at once it sounded. 

 

‘Louis,’ Zayn sighed happily, standing up to hug his best friend. ‘You came!’ He exclaimed, falling into Louis arms.

 

‘I wouldn’t miss it for the world.’ Louis said swallowing loudly, his eyes finding Harry, baby blues boring into him just like they used to, pulling on all the strings they once did, but for once it didn’t pull Harry in. It made him take a step backwards, and then another one, and another one. Until Louis was out of sight.

 

Out of sight. Out of mind.


	7. The shots fired

Harry was mentally dry heaving, standing by the bar and pretending to order some drinks. He had stepped back in shock upon seeing Louis, the sudden anger made him leave the entire VIP section but the thought of Niall and Zayn made him stop on his way out and stay. Even though it was the last thing he wanted to do, he couldn’t just leave their bachelor's party. He was the best man for crying out loud. 

 

His eyes were stuck to the drink menu but he couldn’t read the words. He gripped it tightly in his hands and wished that he could just apparate from here and be home within seconds. 

 

The point was. He spent years being in love with Louis, then he spent another few slowly getting cut out of Louis’ life, but he never had felt this angry. How dare he come back here after years of radio silence, slowly every single one of Harry’s letter’s left unanswered, like nothing ever happened?

 

For a second he got so blinded by rage that he wished he had taken Jesy’s advice and found someone to hook up with just so he could rub it in his face.

 

‘Haz,’ he heard behind him and took a shaky breath, schooling his face expression into one of polite inquiry while turning around.

 

‘Louis.’ He acknowledged, his tone turning as icy as Louis’ smile was sunny. He could see how Louis was taken aback by his tone - the surprise evident in his eyes, his arms stretched out for a hug hands faltering a little - but son of a bitch recovered quickly. 

 

‘Hi,’ He said again, this time not waiting for Harry’s permission and simply wrapping his arms around Harry’s waist, who hated how quickly his own hands went to rest on Louis neck and how peaceful and at home he could feel being touched by him. Like the past 6 years never happened and they were sitting by the pool in Niall’s house where Louis had made all kinds of empty promises Harry thought he would keep. 

 

‘It’s so good to finally see you,’ Louis whispered, and Harry could hear him getting choked up. Or maybe he just wanted him to. 

 

‘I’m here. Just as I was for the past 6 years.’ Harry noted not really able to hide his bitterness, able to feel Louis tensing up.

 

‘Harry I….’ He said, letting him go but keeping his hands firmly on the small of Harry’s back.

 

‘Babe!’ The giggling Nick Grimshaw exclaimed, appearing by their side and making Louis snap back and step back from Harry’s space, his hands leaving a warm tingling imprint on Harry’s skin. ‘There will be strippers today! Oh my god, can you believe?’ He asked, looping an arm around Louis’ shoulders. 

 

It was a small gesture, small insignificant gesture, something that you probably don’t  even realise you're doing after a while but to Harry? Grimshaw could have just slapped him in the face and it wouldn’t have felt any different. 

 

Suddenly all the blanks Harry had about Louis life after he left filled themselves in inside his head. He saw homesick, barely 18 year-old Louis away from home, receiving a letter or two per month from his friends and family but other than that, alone, with Grimmy by his side. Grimmy, the only person who could cheer him up, who could made him crack a smile and the only one who reminded him of home.

 

He saw them getting closer and he also saw like a punch in the gut that first tentative kiss. Because they’ve done this before, but not like this. Now it meant something. 

 

He saw the reason why Louis cut him out personified in front of his eyes, and boy did he want to puke.

 

‘Oh! Harry? Mate, haven’t seen you since Hogwarts! Holy shit, you got hot. I mean you were always a cute kid, but hot damn!’ Nick exclaimed and gave Harry a one armed hug that he awkwardly and reluctantly reciprocated.

 

‘Good to see both of you as well.’ He gritted through his teeth. ‘I should get back. Best man duties call.’ 

 

If someone asked Harry the next morning how the rest of the evening went, he wouldn’t be able for the life of him to tell. He remembered that when he sat back down Jesy shot him a worried glance and that when they tried to resume the game that Louis interrupted they couldn't because everyone would rather hear about what Louis and Nick had been up to. He knew that Nick answered most of it, like the proud boyfriend he was, gushing about how invaluable Louis had been in setting up the entire non-profit and how much the higher ups trusted him. 

 

There was one moment that imprinted himself in the back of Harry's brain though.

 

‘So Lou, where are you going next?’ Zayn asked, sitting beside Louis and holding his hand like he was afraid his best friend would disappear in a puff of smoke otherwise. 

 

‘To London, actually.’ Louis said, rubbing his neck awkwardly. ‘I got promoted. Which includes a desk for a change instead of travelling around the world. I’ll be in company's headquarters in London from now on.’ 

 

Harry hung his head, afraid that too much would be shown on his face, and tried to control his breathing.

 

Merlin, he had spent years telling himself that he didn't care that Louis left him. He was pretending in front of everyone that it wasn't hurting as much as it was because he couldn’t let them know. Because almost all of them were happy that he got to do what he dreamed about. He had lied through his teeth for years now, and Merlin forgive him if he began to believe it himself at some point. 

 

He wasn't a fool, he knew that he wouldn’t be completely unaffected by Louis’ appearance but even in his wildest nightmares it didn't hurt this badly. And know knowing that Louis would be back? In London? Where the Wizarding community was bigger than anywhere else - but still, it was a Wizarding community, everyone knew each other - parading his boyfriend all around Harry’s favourite places, letting him know loud and clear that whatever Harry thought they had was just a big fat lie? It hit him square in a chest, the dull pain settling inside like it was preparing itself to stay.

 

‘We found this amazing apartment in Soho!’ he heard Nick saying and wow. It actually could hurt even more.

 

‘Okay so how about those games, huh?’ Jesy shot loudly. 

 

‘Yeah, let’s play!’ Louis agreed and Jesy shot him a dark look that was supposed to mean ‘Nobody asked you douchebag’ and Harry felt really grateful that there was at least one person as pissed of as he was. 

 

The rest of the evening was a blur.  Harry plastered himself to Liam’s side and didn’t let himself be alone for a second. He watched Louis half of the night and the other half willed himself to look away. Every time Louis tried to approach him, he ran the other way. He wasn't ready to hear excuses or half-assed apologies. This week was about Niall and Zayn, and Harry would be damned if he let any of his drama stand in the way of that. 

 

The downside of it was the fact that in the morning of big day he woke up with a huge hangover and none of the potions Zayn had cooked up for them couldn’t make it go away. He willed himself to stand up though and instead of charming himself clean he decided to take an actual shower in the hope that it would sober him up a bit. 

 

He went downstairs to the huge dining hall that could accommodate up to fifty people. How on earth the Horan’s dared to call it a ‘summer home’ was beyond him, but on the other hand he had seen their mansion which was triple the size. 

 

And as luck would have it (the luck that apparently hated his guts), he bumped into Louis at the door. There were 10 doors leading to this room alone, so how on earth had both of them chosen that one?

 

‘Haz!’ Louis exclaimed, his face lighting up upon noticing who he bumped into and dear Lord, Harry was too shocked and emotional to notice the day before but he was more beautiful than ever. His platinum blonde hair and fancy haircut was long gone, giving way to a messy style with fringe still unmistakably falling into his eyes. His cheekbones had gotten sharper, were dusted now by a layer of stubble. His skin was tanned like only someone spending a lot of time in a sun could be, his clothes comfortable, and even though he looked like straight off the road, he was still effortlessly stylish. 

 

Harry just nodded in acknowledgement, mostly because he didn’t trust himself to speak and moved to walk right past him, but Louis’ small hand (thank God that hadn’t changed) clutched onto his arm to stop him.

 

‘You're mad at me, aren’t you?’ He asked quietly, Harry quirking a mocking eyebrow at him. 

 

‘If we could just talk. I could explain…’ He started stubbornly staring at the floor, god knows what he was hoping to find there.

 

‘I don't really have time to talk.’ Harry interrupted him. ‘And I don’t think there’s that much to say. Just because we were friends when we were kids doesn’t mean that we have to be now. People move away and grow apart. It happens,’ He said, his voice shaking. 

 

‘You can’t possibly mean that! I want to be friends, Haz I really…’ Louis denied frantically, his blunt fingernails digging into Harry’s flesh. 

 

‘Now you do. That’s nice.’ Harry noted and twisted his arm from Louis’ hold, moving to the breakfast table and sitting beside Jesy.

 

‘He tried to talk to you?’ she asked casually, not looking up from her plate.

 

‘Yeah’ He nodded.

 

‘Didn’t go well I presume?’

 

‘There’s nowhere to go. We were friends once. We're not anymore. It happens. There’s nothing for him to cry about to his six feet tall quiffy boyfriend.’ Harry huffed, annoyed, the whole pretence of being impartial and indifferent flying out the window with that very sentence.

 

‘Tall, quiffy…’ Jesy murmured under her breath, confused, until a look of understanding flickered across her face. ‘Grimmy?’ She asked incredulously. ‘He’s not his boyfriend,’ she added then, a huge smile stretching over her face.

 

‘What?’ Harry asked, his heart pounding.

 

‘They're not together. They've never been together.’ She clarified.

 

‘How.. .’ He asked, his voice weak, so he cleared his throat and tried again. ‘How do you know that?’ 

 

‘I talked to him yesterday. We're good. Kinda.’ She shrugged. ‘You should talk to him too.’ She added, standing up and squeezing his shoulder briefly before walking away.

 

‘It doesn’t change anything.’ Harry mumbled under his breath. ‘It doesn't change anything,’ he repeated.

 

He had no idea who he was trying to convince. 

 

Suddenly his appetite was gone and he pushed away his plate, one of the house elves giving him a stink eye for doing so.

 

‘Oh it was delicious! I just … don’t feel good?’ He asked weakly and ran out of the dining room before he would get spoon fed.

 

He swung by the kitchen to pick up Niall some breakfast and walked outside where the wedding planner alongside with his staff were setting up a flowery arch and white chairs on the lawn and finally stepped inside the guest house where Niall was supposed to sleep the night before in some kind of lame attempt of justifying him wearing white. 

 

‘Merlin!’ Harry exclaimed, letting go of the tray and covering his eyes. There was a loud cracking sound and Harry could feel milk wetting his trousers but it still wasn’t as traumatic as seeing your best friend spoon his fiancee both buck naked. ‘What happened to the tradition of not sleeping together the night before the wedding?’ He asked his eyes still firmly covered to avoid getting an eyeful of naked body parts. 

 

‘Fuck the tradition’ he heard Zayn say joyfully. 

 

‘It wasn’t the tradition you were fucking last night.’ Niall whispered back, but Harry still heard it.

 

‘Could you cover yourselves up, please?’ Harry groaned.

 

‘We’re covered.’ Niall laughed. ‘Don’t get your panties in a twist.’ 

 

‘Thank God.’ Harry sighed and opened his eyes and with one swoosh of wand he sent the tray from the floor on their bed, milk from his pants included. ‘Soooo…’ he trailed off with a big smile. ‘The big day is here!’ he exclaimed.

 

‘Yeah,’ Zayn smiled, looking up at Niall. ‘I should probably apparate myself to my bedroom before Jesy finds that I’m not there,’ he added.

 

‘See you at the altar baby.’ Niall whispered softly.

 

‘I’ll be the one wearing white.’ Zayn sing songed. 

 

Harry turned around, pretending to get busy with Niall’s suit while the grooms said their goodbyes. Harry smiled softly at the loud smacking sounds. They were supposed to see each other in about two hours again and still had to go through a fifteen minute goodbye. It was sweet. Something Harry wished he had. 

 

To the loud cracking sound, he turned around seeing Zayn apparate out of the bed. 

 

‘Eat your breakfast.’ Harry said to Niall, sitting down on the vacant spot Zayn left.

 

‘Okay, mom.’ Niall said rolling his eyes.

 

‘So how are you feeling?’ 

 

‘A little nervous.’ Niall said munching on a toast, little pieces of bread falling out of his mouth. ‘But kinda excited too.’

 

‘I bet. You are spending your honeymoon with a centaur colony in India.’ Harry smiled.

 

‘Twat.’ Niall laughed, swatting him on the shoulder. ‘Honeymoon will be awesome, that’s true, but I’m more excited about the marriage’ 

 

‘Zayn is hot.’ Harry mused, earning himself another slap on a shoulder. 

 

‘How are you though?’ Niall asked softly cuddling to Harry’s side. 

 

‘I’m awesome! My best friend is about to get married to the hottest guy on a planet so a little jealous, but so happy for you.’ Harry said, what started as a joke turning soft and emotional at the end. He looped an arm around Niall’s waist and squeezed his middle affectionately. 

 

‘I meant with Louis being here.’ Niall stated, looking at Harry unsure.

 

‘I’m glad. It would suck for Zayn if he wasn’t here’ Harry shrugged, his heart beating wildly, hellbent on not showing any of it to Niall. Not on his big day.

 

‘He’s um… he’s Zayn’s best man, so you’ll be going down the aisle with him?’ Niall said, his unsure tone making it sound like a question.

 

‘Oh. What about Jesy though?’ 

 

‘She was the one to suggest it. She knew she was just a Louis replacement. Zayn and Louis had this pact ever since they were kids. Jesy was never in on it cause she said she was not a wuss to plan her wedding when she was twelve,’ he chuckled.

 

‘Well if Jesy is fine with it, I’m cool.’ Harry smiled, willing his words to become true. 

 

‘Haz…’ Niall started and Harry could just tell by his face what he wanted to talk about.

 

‘Nope. Shut up. Today is your big day. The one you dreamt about since you were a little boy. You’re marrying the guy you had a crush on ever since you were thirteen. There’s nothing more important than that today, okay? And whatever you’re thinking I feel about Louis - it’s not that serious.’ He said strongly, looking at Niall’s face seriously and squeezing his hands. ‘Just because you're still hung up on your school crush doesn’t mean all of us are,’ he teased and Niall let out a soft chuckle. ‘Yeah come on, chuckles, let’s get you pretty.’ Harry smiled and pulled Niall out of bed and sent him to the shower. 

 

He busied himself with Niall’s suit and sent his patronus - a hedgehog, god knows why - to Jesy to let her know how tie Zayn in his robes and to beg her to just call him in case of trouble ‘cause he didn’t feel like seeing his creation violated on the walk down the aisle. He also decided to push all the thoughts about Louis away for the time being. Mostly until he would see the grooms going away to their honeymoon. 

 

Niall came back out and Harry helped him into white robes and then got his hair done and put some light makeup on his face. He fixed his bowtie, standing behind Niall, both men locking eyes in the mirror and smiling softly at each other. 

 

‘You did everything right, Ni. I’m so happy for you.’ Harry said kissing Niall’s head.

 

‘I love you, Haz.’ Niall smiled.

 

‘I love you too.’ Harry nodded, both smiling for a beat before the door to the guest house burst open and Niall's parents stepped inside.

 

‘Niall!’ Maura yelled with her arms outstretched, enveloping her son in a bone crushing hug.

 

Harry smiled at the picture and looked at Bobby to see him sobbing quietly into a handkerchief. 

 

‘Bobby?’ He asked ‘You okay?’

 

‘Y-yeah’ Bobby hiccuped. ‘Ju-ust my lit-tle boy-y is getting ma-arried! 

 

Niall laughed loudly, planting a loud kiss to his dad’s forehead. ‘Come on pops, you have to walk me down the aisle.’ He beamed which only prompted Bobby to cry louder. 

 

Finally the four of them stepped out of the guest house and moved to the beginning of the aisle, casting a veil spell on Niall first. They saw the rest of the wedding party - Zayn covered by a veil spell on his own, Trisha and Yaser and Louis - his best man. 

 

Zayn’s parents jumped to fawn over Niall almost at the same time Niall’s went over to Zayn which left Louis and Harry to their own devices. 

 

‘May I?’ Louis asked offering his arm.

 

‘Sure.’ Harry said, looping his hand over Louis’ elbow, a shiver going up and down his spine at the touch.

 

‘You look beautiful.’ Louis noted.

 

‘Thanks.’ Harry cut him short, fighting a blush spreading its way onto his cheeks.

 

‘May I ask for the first dance with you?’ Louis asked again with that fake chivalry that was not making Harry week in the knees, and thankfully the sound of the harp saved him from answering as he saw the wedding planner waving at them frantically.

 

‘That’s our cue,’ he said instead and both him and Louis fell into step easily. 

 

The music, flowers, fairy lights, their friends in fancy robes looking at them with soft smiles, all of it was going to Harry’s head faster than the oldest firewhiskey. 

 

And then halfway through the aisle Harry felt Louis’ fingers intertwining themselves with Harry’s and it almost took his breath away. He didn’t dare to look at him, but from the corner of his eye he could see Louis smiling softly and looking down. 

 

When they finally reached the altar, after what felt like eternity Louis kissed his hand quickly and moved back on the other side to leave a place for the grooms, Zayn already coming down the aisle escorted by both of his parents. 

 

Zayn stood beside them, Louis squeezing his hip and Harry sending him a smile before Zayn’s parents moved to sit in the first row and everyone's eyes turned to watch Niall who had just appeared at the end. Harry heard a soft gasp and looked at Zayn whose eyes were wet and whose smile was threatening to cut his face in half. 

 

There was nothing more beautiful than watching one spouse looking at the other moving down the aisle.

 

Finally Niall reached the altar and Bobby put his hand in Zayn's hand who used it to pull him in for a kiss. They only broke apart when the officiary cleared her throat.

 

‘Oh, yeah. Sorry.’ Zayn said sheepishly, stepping back. 

 

She started the ceremony by taking the guests down the memory lane, using a few of the stories that Zayn and Niall provided for her during preparations for the ceremony, and then it was time for the wedding spell to be casted.

 

They both held out their left hand and put it on the other’s chest with a wand pushed to their heart, right hand holding each other’s waists. They leaned in a bit, connecting their foreheads and whispered in unison the words of the spell. 

 

‘ _ Amare, arbitrates, nunc et in aeternum’  _ while a silver spark went from Zayn’s wand inside Niall’s chest and going out the back, looping around his frame to go through Zayn’s back and end at Niall’s wand.

 

They stayed like that for a few minutes until the magical connection disappeared and the officiary pronounced them husband and husband. 

 

Loud cheers could be heard all around the garden, both grooms looking at each other in awe, magical bands - the outcome of the wedding spell - adorning their fingers.

 

‘And now let’s party!’ Niall exclaimed, ending the emotional and serious mood.

 

The entire wedding party moved to the big patio where the wedding reception was held, both best men made their speeches, the grooms had their first dance and Harry found himself sitting next to George - the half giant Lauren had introduced him to laughing at his jokes.

 

‘So I knocked on his door and when he opened I started to grunt and grumble and flex my muscles in his face and generally act like a brute.’ George giggled, recalling an encounter with his xenophobic downstairs neighbour. ‘And he started to frantically feel his robes for a wand before I couldn't hold the charade anymore and I started to laugh hysterically.’ 

 

‘Oh my god,’ Harry giggled. ‘You know you could have just have him reported, right? A discrimination against other magical kinds or muggle born wizards is against the law.’ 

 

‘I know but… I don’t know, I kind of wanted to give him a chance you know? What’s going to change if I sent him to Azkaban?’ George shrugged and Harry smiled at him flirtatiously.

 

‘My oh my,’ he sing-songed, fanning himself with his hand. ‘Could you be any more precious?’ 

 

‘Shut it.’ George laughed, pushing Harry a little. ‘I’m not precious. I’m a big bad giant,’ he grinned.

 

‘Oh yes.’ Harry mocked. ‘I’m so scared!’ he added.

 

‘You should be though’ George smiled wickedly leaning in, his mouth inches from Harry’s ear. ‘I could probably pick you up, or... hold you down.’ 

 

Harry giggled, a familiar rush of excitement spreading through his stomach to the rest of his body, but before he could reply he heard a snappy voice above his head.

 

‘Can I ask you to dance? I do believe you promised me your first one.’ Louis said and Harry looked at him in disbelief.

 

‘I believe you asked but I don’t remember giving you an answer, let alone a positive one.’ Harry snapped right back annoyed. 

 

‘Oh, no! Go and dance!’ George smiled encouragingly. ‘I have to ask Mrs. Horan to dance either way or my father will disown me,’ he smiled and with a curt nod in Louis’ direction he moved towards the parents’ table.

 

Louis held his hand out, his bottom lip worried shyly between his teeth and Harry took it with a huff, not wanting to make a scene.

 

‘Where do you get off?’ He asked sharply once Louis had put his hand on Harry’s lower back and they both started to sway.

 

‘I’m sorry.’ Louis whispered and he had the audacity to actually look apologetic. The bastard.

 

‘Sorry that you disappear? Sorry that you stopped talking to me? Sorry that you intruded on my conversation? Sorry about what, Lou?’ Harry snapped, and watched in disbelief as Louis smiled softly. ‘What the fuck are you smiling about?’

 

‘You called me Lou.’ Louis murmured and Harry stepped back, disgusted. 

 

‘You know what..’ He started loudly, but stopped, squeezing his fists and taking a deep breath to compose himself. ‘...Forget it. If it’s all just a big joke to you, so be it. I was always just an amusing kid to you, why would now be any different, huh?’ He asked bitterly and walked away. 

 

He would have gone outside but he knew that Louis would just go after him and try to have this conversation again. So he went in the only direction he knew he would be safe and that was the grooms. 

 

He swept Niall on the dance floor switching him for Zayn in the middle of the song, he spend more or less all night trailing behind them, Louis joining them more often than not but it was okay. He couldn’t have any serious conversation in front of Niall and Zayn so they were both just polite to each other. Well okay, Louis was more than polite but Harry pretended to not see it. 

 

He didn’t even realise that in a process of avoiding Louis he completely ditched George. With a feeling of dread in his stomach he went to find him. George was sitting at his table talking to Jesy and Lauren, who both stood up seeing Harry approach end excused themselves, Lauren giving him a stink eye on the way to the bar.

 

‘Hi.’ Harry said sheepishly.

 

‘Hi Harry,’ George smiled sadly.

 

‘I’m sorry…’ Harry started.

 

‘It’s fine!’ George hurried to say. ‘You obviously have some unresolved feelings towards him and I don't really feel like being a rebound. I don't do casual or one time things. So maybe it’s for the best,’ he sighed and smiled weakly at Harry.

 

‘I’m really sorry’ Harry whispered. ‘To be honest I don’t think I knew just how much was unresolved until he showed up.’ 

 

‘It’s fine.’ George smiled. ‘It was lovely to meet you,’ he said standing up and kissing Harry’s cheek. ‘Let me know if it ever gets resolved, okay?’ He added softly and left Harry alone, just as the DJ announced that the grooms were departing to their honeymoon.

 

He hugged them both, kissed both of their cheeks, and endured drunk Zayn squeezing his bum. When they departed he walked over to their parents to say goodbye and made plans with his friends to meet up in London. He was speeding past reception, saying his goodbyes and praying that Louis wouldn’t catch up to him. He had already settled with the house staff for his things to be sent back home the next morning so he just needed to apparate home, and he was just outside the reception area when he heard Louis behind him.

 

‘You weren’t leaving without saying goodbye now, were you?’ Louis asked.

 

Harry swore under his breath, taking out his wand quickly and trying to apparate home before he had to answer him. He was halfway through the spell when he felt a hand clutching his arm and before he knew it he was standing inside his London flat with Louis bleeding on the floor.

 

He screamed and scrambled to his knees, touching Louis who was moaning in pain, his eyes closed.

 

‘Merlin Lou, you splinched!’ He yelled frantically, his hands moving over the wound not daring to touch. ‘Accio dittany!’ he yelled and within seconds he had a bottle of elixir in his hand, applying it carefully on Louis’ wound. When he was done, Louis sighed relieved and Harry went to the bathroom to get a first aid kit, some washcloths, and water. He could just use his wand to do it but he needed a second, seeing Louis bleeding on his floor had made him learn a completely new kind of fear he didn't know existed. 

 

He went back to the living room and kneeled again, softly putting Louis’ hand in the bandage. 

 

‘So now that I literally gave up my limb for you, will you talk to me?’ Louis teased with a lopsided smile.

 

‘Shut up.’ Harry grumbled, using his wand to switch Louis’ fancy suit into his own old ratty t-shirt and comfortable dress pants. He wasn’t ready to see Louis only in his underwear. Not that seeing Louis drown in his own clothes was any better. He was bigger than Louis now. 

 

‘You're bigger than me.’ Lous noted, amused, tugging on the t-shirt.

 

‘I said shut up.’ Harry grumbled in response and put Louis on the couch and wrapped him up in a blanket using his wand. Then he brought him tea and sat next to his feet on the couch and pretended like he didn't’ feel Louis’ feet burying themselves under his thighs. Just like old times.

 

‘So you’ll nurse me back to health but you won’t let me speak?’ Louis asked finally.

 

Harry wanted to leave, standing up with a loud groan but Louis quickly shot up and caught him by his arm. 

 

Harry froze and with truly murderous expression unclutched Louis’ hand one finger at the time. ‘I thought that’s how our problems started.’ He added evenly, looking to Louis’ still unhealed shoulder.

 

‘You're just going to run away every time I try to talk? Very mature.’ Louis exclaimed, getting annoyed.

 

“Oh, so you’re the only one who gets to do all the leaving?!‘ Harry yelled back and Louis backtracked quickly, sitting back on the couch like a deflated balloon.

 

‘I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, Harry.’ He said quietly. ‘I don’t know how many more times I can say it for you to hear me’.

 

‘I heard you. I just don’t particularly care.’ Harry said, crossing his arms over his chest.

 

‘Don’t you? Because if you didn’t, wouldn’t you just hear me out, tell me you forgive me and that would be that?’ Louis asked, with that stupid smug smile like he knew he had won.

 

‘Fine. Go ahead. Just fucking say what you want and let’s be done with it. I have an important day tomorrow I need to sleep.’ Harry said and accio-ed himself a drink. God knows he needed one.

 

‘I’m sorry I disappeared. I’m sorry that I stopped answering your letters or coming back at all. I was a kid and somehow I convinced myself that letting you go would be easier for both of us. I was alone there and I had no idea when I would be back.’ Louis said, taking a deep breath. ‘I’m most sorry that I hurt you. I never wanted to. I thought I was doing the right thing.’

 

‘The right thing?!’ Harry mocked. ‘The right thing by making this decision for me? God you're so infuriating! That was not your decision to make, Louis.’ 

 

‘I know that.’ Louis nodded.

 

‘So why now, huh? Suddenly when you get a promotion and you have to move back here you suddenly realise that? Why didn’t you realise that before? Why didn’t you write two months ago or a year? ‘Cause it seems to me like you’re just doing what’s most convenient for you. You were there so all of us were out of sight, out of mind. Now you're back so you want all of us to pretend like nothing’s changed.’

 

‘Out of mind?’ Louis laughed bitterly. ‘Are you kidding me? You were the only thing I could think about! Unlike you, huh? With Xavier, and then Kendall, and James, and God knows who else!’ He yelled, throwing his hands up and wincing in pain, his shoulder just barely patched up. 

 

‘Why the fuck would you care who I date? You want to tell me that you and Grimmy were just friends?’ Harry shot back fuming.

 

‘Yeah we were. Because I seem to like tall twats with good hair but apparently I’m hung up on a pretty specific one.’ Louis grumbled and Harry choked down some words that were about to leave his mouth because… Oh.

 

‘Seriously?’ He asked weakly.

 

‘Yeah seriously, you asshole.’ Louis rolled his eyes. ‘I’m pretty sure I was in love with you ever since I heard you talking back at your mom about sprawling on the floor like idiots.’ He mimicked Harry’s words and chuckled softly. ‘But you were so much younger than me. And yeah, now three years is no difference at all, but back then? It could have very well been ages.’ Louis sighed and took Harry’s hand in his own. ‘I kind of knew that you liked me?’ He admitted softly. ‘But I didn’t want you to grow up and then, I don’t know… think that it was gross or something.’ He caressed Harry’s hand softly.

 

‘I mean, seriously?’ Harry said his voice turning ice cold. ‘You knew I was in love with you all those years and you did NOTHING?!’ He screamed the last word, pulling his hand out of Louis’ hold. ‘You were three years older, Louis, not fucking thirty! Fuck, you're such a douchebag! So you took Grimmy for that stupid dance in your sixth year just to what?! Torture me?! You went away WITH HIM and filled your letter with stories ABOUT HIM just to break my heart?! And then finally you came back here AFTER YEARS of RADIO SILENCE and you brought HIM WITH YOU?! Wow. WOW. what am I supposed to do, throw myself in your arms?! Why?!’ 

 

‘Because I love you! And you love me! Why the fuck are you trying to make it complicated? I tried to forget you with Grimmy, you tried to forget me with - apparently - half of Hogwarts but who’s keeping score!’ Louis seethed.

 

‘Apparently you are.’ Harry mocked.

 

They both stopped in their movement, their chests rising heavily with ragged breaths. Harry ran his hand through his hair and looked away. 

 

‘So that’s it? I missed my chance.’ Louis stated quietly.

 

‘Yeah.’ Harry confirmed, pursing his lips.

 

Louis assessed him for a second before he nodded and picked his clothes up from the chair. 

 

‘I should go, then.’ He said, keeping his head low to avoid Harry seeing his eyes that were starting to water. 

 

‘You can’t apparate before you get that checked out’ Harry sighed, motioning towards his hand and trying to stop him.

  
‘I’ll use your floo line.’ Louis hurried out. ‘I’m fine.’ He said stepping inside the fireplace. ‘We’re fine,’ he added, disappearing in flames.


	8. The truce

‘How are you feeling, beautiful?’ Harry asked Jade who had just emerged from the bedroom after her nap.

 

‘Huge.’ She groaned holding her stomach with one hand and stretching her spine with the second one.

 

‘You look beautiful.’ Harry insisted and jumped to help her to the couch. ‘You want a foot rub?’ He asked, holding her ankle lightly between his fingers.

 

‘You make me feel like I could always be nine months pregnant,’ she smiled thankfully.

 

‘Baby your post-nap ice cream.’ Perrie said, handing her girlfriend a huge bowl of ice cream with whipped cream and sprinkles. ‘And your afternoon dose of veggies.’ She added kissing her lips softly.

 

‘Thank you, hon.’ Jade smiled. ‘Did you tell him already?’ She asked, dipping a broccoli in the strawberry ice cream.

 

‘Nope. I waited for you baby.’ Perrie grinned and Jade rolled her eyes fondly.

 

‘What didn’t you tell me?’ Harry asked.

 

‘We found an apartment!’ Jade smiled.

 

‘That’s awesome! You must be so relieved!’ Harry said. Perrie and Jade had been looking for a bigger apartment ever since they got pregnant but it was hard to find a suitable muggle apartment for young pregnant witches, and they wanted to live on the muggle side of town since Perrie was muggleborn and still had a few muggle friends that knew nothing about magic.

 

‘You have no idea. I’m gonna pop any second now and there’s no way we will move while this kid is out.’ She smiled.

 

‘I’m just gonna move us while Jade is in the hospital. Wanna help?’ Perrie asked, nudging Harry with her foot.

 

‘Obviously.’ Harry grinned at her. ‘Damn, don’t think I’m not happy for you but I really got used to having both of you just upstairs.’

 

‘Well...’ Jade started and looked to Perrie hesitantly.

 

‘We are kind of subletting the place.’ Perrie said, twisting her fingers nervously which made Harry instantly suspicious.

 

‘Subletting to who?’ Harry asked demandingly.

 

‘Louis.’ Jade said sweetly, knowing full well her belly was a shield.

 

‘Guys!’ Harry whined and threw himself dramatically on the couch.

 

‘Oh shush!’ Perrie rolled her eyes. ‘You should talk to him already. We all have excessive conversations behind your back about it and we all think that you made him sweat, now just kiss and make up.’

 

‘It’s not that simple, Pez.’ Harry sighed.

 

‘Why not?’ Jade asked. ‘He was a twat in school, who was not a twat in school?’  

 

‘You.‘ Harry deadpanned. ‘Pez. Me. Zayn. Niall. Liam. Leigh. Jesy,’ he added his tone and face blank.

 

‘Jesy was a twat though. She still is.’ Perrie added innocently.

 

‘I don’t mean twat in a loving way I mean twat in a _I know you're in love with me and I kinda like you too but I’m gonna leave you behind and break your heart either way_ way.’ Harry defended.

 

‘Well now you are a twat. He apologised. At least you could start talking to him. Our weekly hangouts are starting to get weird.’ Jade said.

 

‘That’s not fair. You know I can’t tell you no when you rub that belly in my face.’ Harry groaned.

 

‘You wish I rubbed my belly in your face’ Jade smirked.

 

‘Sometimes I’m afraid you mean that quite literally.’ Perrie murmured under her breath.

 

A few days later Harry knocked on Perrie and Jade’s door holding a bowl of soup. He planned on telling them that he cooked too much for himself, not that he found a recipe online and spent two hours in a kitchen because he read that soup helped calm the baby inside the womb and made a birth easier.

 

He was debating whether he should bring some homemade ice cream along when the door swung open in his face.

 

‘Hi Pe…’ He started, expecting to see Perrie but his eyes landing on Louis instead.

 

‘Harry!’ Louis beamed at him. ‘It’s so nice to see you. You look beautiful as always.’ He said and Harry was left gaping at him like fish taken out of the water.

 

See, after their little conversation in Harry’s apartment right after Zayn and Niall’s wedding they had seen each other handful of times. It seemed like all of their friends were simply happy to have Louis back and were set on not getting involved in whatever drama the two shared. But during all of those meetings Harry ignored Louis and the other boy seemed to be following his lead. This was their first meeting since Harry had learned that they were going to be neighbours and he wished he had a little more time to prepare.

 

‘Louis.’ Harry nodded, deciding that even though this sweet, compliment-making Louis was new territory he was going to act like nothing had changed.

 

‘Are you excited we're gonna be neighbours?’ Louis asked, motioning for him to come inside.

 

‘Are _you_ excited we’re gonna be neighbours?’ Harry repeated mockingly, emphasising the word ‘you’.

 

‘Well, I am.’ Louis answered serenely, like he didn’t detect the irony in Harry's words.

 

‘What’s gotten into you?’ Harry asked confused.

 

‘Well I was giving you space for the past few weeks and I wanted to respect your decision but I figured that just because I respect your decision doesn’t mean I have to stop trying.’ He shrugged just as they both stepped inside the kitchen.

 

‘I should get this to Jade.’ Harry said after a beat.

 

‘You can’t ran away from me now.’ Louis murmured quietly which sounded a bit stalkerish. ‘Jade is taking a nap and Perrie is out.’ He added in lieu of explanation.

 

‘I’ll just leave it in the fridge then.’ Harry shrugged, putting the bowl inside.

 

He turned around and cursed himself for doing it so quickly cause now he had nothing else to do. He was left standing in front of Louis, staring at him with a stupid expression on his face while Louis was watching him with a soft smile.

 

‘You know you did grow up, but you are not that different from the boy I left here all those years ago.’ He said out of the blue and Harry huffed, annoyed.

 

‘You don't know me at all. You left when I was 14 and you came back when I’m over twenty and you expect everything to be the same?’ He mocked.

 

‘Same fire.’ Louis said, taking a step forward. ‘Same stubbornness.’ He added with a smirk and another step. ‘And I believe I do recognise those dimples.’ He said, poking one of them when he landed straight in front of Harry.

 

‘I thought you said you respect my decision.’ Harry whispered, frozen in place, not daring to close the distance between their lips nor move away.

 

‘I listened. When you talked? I listened to you. I won’t cross any lines you don’t want to cross but then again... I’m not going anywhere. I’m not moving on.’ Louis said, looking straight into Harry's eyes. ‘I’m not forgetting it.’ He added, pressing even closer. ‘I’m not letting it go.’ He whispered when their lips almost brushed. ‘I’m not going to kiss you.’ He added after a beat making Harry - despite himself - surprised and disappointed.

 

‘If you want to kiss me, you’ll have to do it yourself.’ He said, moving out of Harry’s space. ‘You're in charge now!’ He smiled sweetly before shrugging a little and disappearing into the living room.

 

Harry felt anything but in charge, and he was about to change it.

 

‘All those pretty words out of that pretty mouth, yet it all doesn’t mean anything.’ He mocked, stepping inside the living room after Louis. ‘You say that I’m in charge and that you respect my decision yet you tease and try to push my buttons to get what you want. It’s the same shit all over again, you saying that you care about me yet trampling me on the way to get what you want.’ He said evenly watching as Louis’ face fell.

 

‘Am I even a person to you anymore? Or am I this idea of a boy who used to be your best friend, who used to be in love with you, who you used to be in love with, who you think you should end up with because it sounds nice?’ Harry pressed on, years of resentment spilling out of him. He couldn’t stop, even though he saw the flushes of pain on Louis face, he didn’t know whether he wanted to stop.

 

‘You're not giving me what I want. you're playing me, because you have this huge romantic scenario in your head that we should be together. Well good for you, but what about me, huh? How am I supposed to believe that you won't just up and leave me whenever the better option comes along? We both know you did that before.’ He noted bitterly and saw Louis cross his hands over his stomach.

 

‘The last time we talked I was a little bit over 16 years old. I was a boy who spent his entire life being in love with you and believing you could do no wrong. You shattered that illusion for good. I grew up, I changed. and I won’t be standing here lying to you that I don’t have feelings for you. I do. But I don't even know you! And you sure as hell don't know me if you think that few almost kisses and winks are going to make me fall in your arms. Honestly. Give me some fucking credit.’ He finished and took a deep breath, feeling emotionally drained.

 

It felt good to get all of that off his chest. It almost felt like closure. Like now both of them could just move on and maybe politely nod at each other on the stairs.

 

‘Let’s then.’ Louis said, interrupting his train of thought.

 

‘Let’s what?’ Harry asked dumbly.

 

‘Let’s get to know each other then.’ Louis said. ‘You're right. Every word you said, you're right. I’m an asshole and I will never stop apologising for that. If… if you want me to stop I’ll stop. Just.. tell me when I’m getting out of line, ‘cause it’s not exactly my fault that I can’t help myself around you… Oh,’ He chuckled, while meeting Harry’s unamused expression. ‘I’m doing it again, aren’t I? See, you have to keep me in line. But I promise I’ll try. Can we just at least give it a shot?”

 

Harry assessed him quietly, his mind going at supersonic speed. He knew that the healthiest way would be to say no. To agree to be polite to each other but not cross line of distant acquaintances. But it was Louis. Everyone had that one person that could get an infinite amount of second chances simply because you couldn’t let them go. I guess you forgive your first love for everything.

 

‘I mean it.’ Louis rushed to say when Harry didn’t respond, desperate to make him say yes. ‘I’ll stop. I swear I won’t try anything. I’ll just take what you're willing to give me. But can we at least try to get to know each other? Because you're right, I have no idea who you are. But I want to. I really, really want to, and if you would just let me, I swear I will never ask for more than you're willing to give.’

 

Harry assessed him coldly, the decision already made in his mind, but still couldn’t help but making Louis sweat a little.

 

‘Okay.’ He nodded, feeling like he signed a death sentence on himself and at the same time feeling butterflies awaken in his stomach.

 

‘Okay?’ Louis smiled his blue eyes shining.

 

‘Okay. Let’s try.’

 


	9. The fragile peace

‘This is weird.’ Harry noted. He was sitting opposite of Louis in the little coffee shop in Diagon Alley while he tried to keep his whipped cream from escaping from his cup.

 

‘Yeah it kind of is.’ Louis said sheepishly, massaging the back of his neck.

 

It was their first meeting since they had decided to be friends. Louis agreed that a lunch date may be the most appropriate and Harry appreciated the effort, but here they were in the middle of the day with couples on first dates, coworkers rushing their meal, and they had absolutely nothing to say to each other.

 

He looked across the table and looked more closely at Louis. He was wearing fancy dress robes in dark navy with silver metallic detail on the front of his shirt. His hair was neatly combed and styled in a high quiff, not even a strand out of place.

 

‘The desk job suits you.’ Harry noted motioning towards his attire, and Louis looked down at himself like he forgot what he put on that morning.

 

‘Oh,’ He chuckled. ‘Um yes, I kinda wish that I was back in the field to be honest.’ Louis said smiling before a flicker of panic flew across his face. ‘Not like, I mean I’m so happy to be here, like super happy! I wouldn’t…’

 

‘Relax,’ Harry laughed, putting his hand instinctively on Louis’ hand across the table and making both of them freeze. He cleared his throat awkwardly and took his hand back. ‘I know what you mean. You don’t have to… you know.’ He finished.

 

‘Yeah well, I’m happy to be here.’ Louis allowed. ‘But sometimes I do miss the wind in my hair and the amazing views.’ He smiled.

 

‘You were basically a construction worker.’ Harry teased. ‘How amazing could that be?’

 

‘Well imagine,’ Louis started, leaning in and resting his weight on his elbows. ‘All schools are usually placed in some muggle ruins, especially the ones that are way too damaged to be picked up by some landmark committee. We transform them, and put the wards on them so there’s absolutely no chance of someone stumbling in.’

 

‘Naturally.’ Harry nodded.

 

‘So get this, you’re working on the castle, and you’re building the tower, you are hundreds of meters above the ground and all you see in all directions are forests, and hills, and nothing for miles on and on. It’s freeing. It makes you feel so alone, but not in a bad way. You get to get to know each other in a way that’s just not possible in the city.’

 

‘That... that sounds amazing.’ Harry smiled. ‘My office is on the thirtieth floor?’ He joked.

 

‘You need to invite me sometime, then.’ Louis smiled lopsidedly.

 

‘Well, you don’t seem to be short on fancy clothes.’ Harry smiled.

 

‘Well I’ve heard that yours are fancier than most.’ Louis shot back immediately. ‘Nick has been gushing about your designs ever since we came back - he was terribly miserable on the road, wind and physical work don’t go well with fashion.’

 

‘Well that’s just a lie.’ Harry noted. ‘I did a very fashionable sports line.’

 

‘I heard.’

 

‘You seem to hear a lot of things about me.’ Harry smiled innocently.

 

‘Maybe I was putting my ear to the ground.’ Louis whispered, looking at Harry through his eyelashes.

 

‘Don’t believe everything you hear.’ Harry smiled.

 

‘Well then, show me. I’ll have to go back in few minutes, I’m not my own boss like some people.’ He pointed out. ‘But um… maybe tomorrow? I could maybe stop by your studio?’

 

‘I prefer atelier.’ Harry said with flick of his wrist. ‘But yeah. You should stop by.’ He nodded.

 

‘It’s a date then.’ Louis nodded.

 

After that Louis didn’t stay long. He kissed Harry’s cheek softly but quickly, like he was afraid to prolong the touch, and moved to the floo line to get back to work.   
  
He did come by like he promised the next day, this time wearing silver robes with a black undershirt untucked at the collar, exposing the long line of his throat. Harry hated it. How come could he hate it so much yet still think Louis looked outrageously hot?

 

‘Oh dear lord,’ He rolled his eyes, thinking that the best way to deal with this was just occupy himself. ‘Take this monstrosity off.’ He snapped at Louis when he saw him in the doorway. ‘Who are you, a disco club owner?’ He teased when he saw a dumbfounded expression on Louis’ face. ‘Silver and black, really?’

 

He moved to Louis and took out his hand for Louis to drape his robe on it. When he was reluctant to comply, Harry snapped his fingers and smirked when the silver fabric flew off of Louis’ frame and burst into flames.

 

‘Hey! My mother bought that for me!’ Louis protested.

 

‘I love your mother, she’s a saint of a women, but dear she could use some fashion advice.’ Harry said, examining the rest of Louis clothes. ‘The shirt can stay.’ He determined, tightening around his waist. He did some quick tailoring on the pants, and then accioed the rack of clothes that were a part of his new collection. He looked through it and found an emerald green robe with unicorn hair sewn into it. It was one of the most decadent pieces in the entire collection and it looked beautiful on Louis. Even better than the model that Harry had hired to present it on the runway.

 

He tucked the collar in and smoothed the front of it with a soft smile.

 

‘There,’ He said stepping back.

 

‘Well, Grimmy is going to be super jealous.’ Louis said, his voice hoarse, trying to lighten the mood.

 

‘Tell him he’ll get the first pick from the new collection and he'll be fine.’ Harry proposed, now that he knew that Grimmy and Louis had never been together, grand gestures came easier.

 

‘Seriously?’ Louis asked, his eyes bulging out.

 

‘Yeah, why not?’ He shrugged. ‘He’s your friend, so.’ He added and pretend to miss how Louis’ smile softened. ‘Is he moving in with you to Perrie and Jade’s apartment?’

 

‘Nah. He’s staying in Soho.’ Louis said. ‘He is the most obnoxious roommate I've ever had, honestly. He befriended some muggle celebrities and they always are galavanting around London, often ending up in our apartment in the middle of the night. I kind of got tired of having to put on wards before I go to sleep, you know?’

 

‘I get it. I mean we're not in Hogwarts anymore.’ Harry joked.

 

‘God, remember how awful Zayn and Niall were?’ Louis groaned.

 

‘Don't even remind me. I think i've seen them naked more than I've seen myself.’ Harry laughed using few charms to pour them tea and serve some cookies. ‘And I had two more years of that than you! I’m definitely the victim here.’

 

‘Oh please, I had to read Zayn’s letters full of poetry about Niall’s arse. And may I remind you that was around the time that they actually started to have sex? I’m scarred for life.’ Louis complained, biting on a cookie.

 

‘Oh yeah, I do remember when they started to have sex! I was there.’ Harry said with mortified face expression.

 

‘There as in…?’ Louis asked.

 

‘There as in right there. In the same room.’ Harry nodded his eyes closed, while Louis burst out with laughter.

 

‘I’m really sorry about that.’ He giggled and Harry joined him in a second.

 

It seemed like this Louis really wasn’t that different than the one Harry remembered from school. He was more of an adult version, but over the course of a few days it was like nothing ever changed and it scared the crap out of Harry. If it was that easy to fall into the same pace and routine with Louis, Harry was terrified of what would come next.

 

It was already hard to remember how mad he used to be and how much resentment he carried before Louis showed up, and Harry actually started to get disappointed how determined Louis was to keep himself in check. No more almost kisses happened, no more flirtatious comments or innuendos and Harry missed them. He still got a soft Louis though. The one that would rush to catch something Harry almost dropped and their hands would meet, Louis lingering just long enough for Harry to know that he still cared. Or him laughing that much louder than everyone else at Harry’s jokes just as Harry had done for him back in high school when he was the one lovesick and hopeful.

 

It seemed like everyone knew the outcome but Harry was still holding back, not wanting to disturb the fragile peace they had managed to achieve.

 

He didn’t know why he still waited. Maybe some part of him still waited for Louis to screw up so he could catch him with I told you so. Or maybe he was scared that Louis would screw up after Harry took him back. And then what? It was so hard to get over him back in highschool, but now? When he had gotten a taste of how it could be like?

 

Nah. If there was something Harry believed in, it was instinct. And his instinct was telling him that there was the other shoe somewhere just getting ready to drop.

  
Harry would be damned if he didn’t see it coming this time.


	10. The history rewritten

They were having their weekly Friday Pub Crawl in a club, and by club I mean Perrie and Jade’s apartment and by Pub Crawl I mean Game Night. The tradition of getting hammered and making bad decisions on the muggle side of town was replaced with board games and veggie smoothies once Jade had become way too pregnant to move, not to mention run around town with drunk people in tow.

 

Harry was losing in cards, and Louis was not so subtly cheating to make him win. 

 

Except for that Louis had been kind of acting weird these past few days. He had been quiet and absent and he was spacing out more often than not. Harry really wanted to ask what was wrong, but he didn’t know whether they were there yet. Yes, they had been getting closer lately, but Harry didn’t know whether it was that close. So he had decided to let Louis come to him on his own. 

 

‘You really should pop this out soon.’ Niall smiled at Jade when she tried to stand up from the chair three times, and failed every time. 

 

‘You’re telling me.’ She groaned. ‘Babe please help me up, I want a smoothie.’ She added, 

stretching her arms out to Perrie.

 

‘I can get you a smoothie, hon.’ Perrie said standing up quickly with a doting expression on her face. 

 

‘No please, I kind of want to just stand up and get things for myself without everyone getting me everything and massaging my feet all the time.’ 

 

‘Yeah, that sounds just awful.’ Zayn teased while Perrie helped Jade up.

 

‘Well try it for over five months and we’ll talk.’ Jade said, making two steps before a sloshing sound could be heard and everyone stopped. 

 

There were three seconds of panicked glances before everyone kicked into motion, screaming and throwing around ideas how to get Jade to the hospital the quickest way. Perrie holding onto her girlfriend’s hands and doing some breathing exercises, Zayn checking her stomach and timing her contractions, while maternity stuff was flying around the room while other witches and wizards tried to pack Jade for the hospital.

 

‘Shut up!’ Harry yelled finally as he sonorus-ed his throat. ‘I have a car downstairs, she can’t apparate while she’s giving birth.’ He said authoritatively.

 

‘Zayn, Niall, help Perrie and Jade down.’ Louis added, standing beside Harry and watching as Niall took the keys to the car and all four moved downstairs slowly. ‘The rest of you idiots, stop packing - they have had a bag prepared for weeks now. Go floo to St. Mungo’s and let the doctors know that Jade with Dr. Malik will be there shortly so they should prepare the room.’ 

 

Everyone nodded and tripped over their feet to get to the fireplace while Louis accio-ed the bag he knew Jade and Perrie hid in the closet in the hall. 

 

‘Let’s go.’ Harry said and they both ran downstairs where Harry sat behind the wheel while Louis threw the bag on Niall’s lap who was seated on the front seat and yelled out a ‘I’m right behind you!’ as there was no place for him in the car. 

 

Harry stepped on the gas, Niall put some protective spells on the car just in case something happened, and Zayn and Perrie were breathing with Jade. 

 

‘Distract me.’ She groaned, a line of sweat visible at her upper lip.

 

‘Oh oh! Did I tell you how Zayn mispronounced the spell on our honeymoon and instead of lube we got covered by glitter?’ Niall asked jovially.

 

‘Yes!’ Jade groaned again, clutching her stomach.

 

‘Hey did I tell you how Louis …’ Harry started.

 

‘Yeah, we heard all about Louis.’ Perrie smirked, holding her girlfriend’s hand.

 

‘You two seem to be a good team.’ Jade smiled, positively distracted.

 

‘Um. Yeah.’ Harry said, a little closed off, focusing on the road as they were literally seconds away from St Mungo’s and he was still a little baffled about Louis’ weird behaviour.

 

‘Hey.’ Jade said softly, the strain on her neck only revealing how badly she was hurting. ‘Don’t be mad at him for this job. He doesn’t know if he’ll take it yet.’ She said softly, making a huge leap with leaning forward and squeezing his shoulder.

 

But for Harry the world stopped. 

 

‘What job?’ He choked out.

 

‘He got an offer? For a supervisor job in Indonesia? They are building a new school there. He would get a huge raise?’ Perrie said, uncertain.

 

Harry’s world came crashing on his head this very second. Other fucking shoe indeed, taking Harry by surprise even when he had promised himself he would see it coming this time. Just when he got him back, he was forced to give him up again. They just started to get along, they just forgot about the first time that Louis had up and left because he got a job offer somewhere very far away and now he was going to do it again and Harry could again do nothing to stop him.

 

His train of thought was interrupted by St Mungo’s hospital appearing on the horizon. Harry parked the car sharply and they moved to the emergency entrance where the stretcher for Jade was already waiting. 

 

Once inside, Jade and Perrie were hurried to the delivery room while the rest of them were left sitting in the waiting room.

 

Harry had Louis’ arm pressed to his, and he was trying to digest the news he just heard. There was a job. A job that required of Louis to move to Indonesia for the fuck knows how long. A job that once again prohibited him from sleeping every night in London. Harry knew that this very moment a miracle of life was happening in the room next to them, but all he could think about was Louis and… and how much he didn’t care how far away he was.

 

He didn’t care about the distance or how much time would take for him to see Louis again. All he cared about was being close to him. And actual distance had absolutely nothing to do with it. He realised that the one thing he was most afraid of was losing him. 

 

And there was only one way to assure that didn’t happen.

 

‘Lou, can we talk?’ He whispered quietly and Louis wordlessly nodded and stood up. ‘We’re gonna get coffee.’ Harry announced to the rest of their party, other people barely even paying attention to them, occupied with the birth of the first child in their little group.

 

Harry and Louis moved through the halls wordlessly, their hands brushing against each other, strangely quiet compared to the hastiness of the hospital around them. Finally they found themselves on the roof of the hospital, London skyline stretched out under their feet. They leaned on the railing, and Harry sighed loudly, readying himself for the conversation. 

 

‘So…’ He started. ‘Indonesia, huh?’ He asked leisurely and he could feel Louis tensing beside him.

 

‘Harry..’ He started, panic evident in his voice, turning around to look at Harry.

 

‘No.’ Harry stopped him, clutching his hand and bringing it to his chest. ‘I should talk now. Jade told me about the job in the car. She thought I knew, which I didn’t.’ Harry said, looking down and pursing his lips. Louis opened his mouth, probably to defend himself, but Harry raised his other hand to stop him again. ‘Shh, let me talk.’ He soothed. 

 

‘True, I haven’t had a lot of time to think about it because I just got hit with the news a few minutes ago,’ He laughed sheepishly. ‘But when I did hear it. I… I didn’t think ‘that asshole he’s doing it again’ or ‘I can’t believe he is leaving me to travel the world for the second time’.’ He smirked softly. ‘ I thought that I do not want to be without you.’ He said seriously then, looking to Louis as he slowly looked up with vulnerable expression on his face. ‘And funnily, it doesn’t mean that you can’t be in Indonesia.’ He added and could see the flicker of hope in Louis’ eyes. ‘I won’t tell you not to go. Just like I wouldn’t tell you not to go back then, because that’s not what love is. I can’t ask you to give up your dreams in the name of this relationship. If… if you still want one. Because I do. Because when I heard that you are leaving the only thing I could think about was that I can’t let you go without telling you how I feel. How I’ve always felt.’ He said, taking one more tiny step closer. ‘I love you.’ He said softly. ‘I’ve always been here. And I still will. Even if you go to Indonesia.’ He finished, taking a shaky breath.

 

Louis looked up to him, a soft smile stretching his lips, thousands of things running through his mind. There were so many things he needed Harry to know, but ultimately he decided to voice the only one that mattered in this moment:

 

‘I love you too.’ He whispered, tugging onto the front of Harry’s shirt and standing up on his tiptoes, slowly leaning up to connect their lips. Harry smiled and his hands reached around Louis to loop around his waist while Louis cupped his face softly, caressing his cheeks. 

 

And when their lips connected, it was, sickeningly, just how Harry had always imagined it. It was the rush of excitement you alway get when you kiss someone for the first time but it was so much more than that. Harry had kissed a lot of people, but it never felt like this. He squeezed Louis closer, basically picking him up from the ground and felt Louis smile into the kiss as he felt his feet loosing the contact with the concrete. 

 

‘So I take it you want to figure it out?’ Harry smiled, his lips still touching Louis’.

 

‘There’s nothing to figure out.’ Louis said, looking at Harry. ‘I turned down the job,’ He added, still smiling widely.

 

‘What?’ Harry asked, freezing in his movements. 

 

‘I didn’t tell you because I wanted to know what I wanted to do before I dropped it on you again. And I know that you may be mad that I didn’t give you a choice again but it was not my intention. I thought about it for a long time, but the decision was made the second I got the offer.’ He said biting around a smile. ‘I knew I wanted to stay here with you, even if you still would insist on being ‘just friends’.’ He teased. ‘But I wanted to make sure that I wouldn’t be holding any resentment against you if I stay. But whichever way I thought about it I couldn’t bring myself to want to go there. Everything I need is right here. You are right here.’ 

 

‘You turned down the job.’ Harry repeated flatly.

 

‘I did.’ Louis nodded. 

 

‘For me.’ Harry added in the same tone of voice.

 

‘For us.’ Louis corrected, and couldn’t stop the smile that stretched his lips upon the word ‘us,’ Harry mimicking his reaction.

 

‘Soooo… this is awkward.’ Harry said after a beat, both giggling. ‘Do you maybe um... want to have dinner at my place tomorrow? I’ll cook and we can talk about everything?’ He asked shyly.

 

‘Make out a little?’ Louis asked, endeared by how the forceful and decisive Harry from just a few minutes ago was fine with professing his love to Louis but turned into a shy blushing boy asking him on a date only a few minutes later.

 

‘Hopefully.’ Harry grinned.

 

‘Yeah. I’d like that.’ Louis smiled. 

 

They came back downstairs, hands linked together, all of their friends smirking madly upon seeing that, but no one said a word. All of them had been waiting for this exact moment for what felt like decades. 

 

Hours passed, Harry curled up with his head on Louis’ lap while Louis was playing with his hair, looking down at him, while Harry was snoring softly and frowning in his sleep. All of their other friends were in different stages of slumber on the waiting room couches, when Zayn finally stepped out from the delivery room wearing his scrubs and smiled widely at all of them.

 

‘It’s a girl.’ He grinned. ‘Jade and Perrie said to bring you in pairs.’ He added motioning for Leigh and Liam to step in. Louis woke Harry up softly and they moved to the delivery room, seeing Jade and Perrie sitting on the bed holding a little bundle of blankets, Jade’s hair sticking to her forehead but their matching smiles were blinding.

 

‘Hey guys.’ They said softly, looking at Harry’s and Louis’ linked hands, Jade smiling and Perrie raising an eyebrow. ‘Meet Harriet Louisa Edwards-Thirlwall.’ They announced.

 

‘Harriet Louisa?’ Harry asked excited.

 

‘Yeah.’ Jade rolled her eyes.

 

‘Ha! You did name your kid after me!’ Harry exclaimed.

 

‘We did. After both of you. You helped so much when the chaos and my water broke.’ Jade laughed. 

 

‘And the names aren’t exactly horrible.’ Perrie teased.

 

Louis discreetly flipped her off while she made a kissy face at him. Harry walked to the bed, leaning in and looking at the little face that welcomed him with closed eyelids and an opened mouth, gurgling and twisting her little fingers.

 

‘She’s beautiful.’ Louis whispered, looking at Harriet over Harry’s shoulder. 

 

‘We’re gonna take such a good care of you sweetheart. You’ll have four mommies and five daddies fawning all over you.’ Louis cooed. 

 

‘You’re gonna take care of her... Together?’ Jade asked putting extra emphasis on the last word, making sure that they understood the real question.

 

‘Um... yeah.’ Harry smiled, looking over at Louis and squeezing his hand. 

 

‘From London?’ Perrie questioned, raising an eyebrow at Louis.

 

‘From London.’ He confirmed. 

 

‘Good.’ Jade said like it was decided and looked at their daughter again, leaning more into her girlfriend’s arms. 

 

‘Good.’ Louis echoed her, bringing an arm to Harry’s waist. 

 

As Harry sank into his touch a little more and felt him planting a soft kiss to his arm, he looked over to their best friends with their newborn daughter and he thought that good didn’t even begin to cover it. He had a feeling that it was just the beginning, and he couldn’t wait to get on with that.

  
And for the first time, he didn’t have to.


End file.
